Govt to expand development bonus

The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security is proposing to expand the early childhood development scheme, with details to be sent to cabinet.
Minister of Social Development and Human Security, Varawut Silpa-archa, said the proposal is an enhanced version of the current scheme, which provides children, from newborns to six years of age, from poor families a monthly allowance of 600 baht per child to ensure sufficient funds for their development.
Under the proposed scheme, Mr Varawut said the 600-baht monthly allowance will be extended to cover all children under the age of six.
The number of eligible recipients is estimated at 3.2 million, he said.
The Department of Children and Youth (DCY) has forwarded the proposal to the ministry for further submission to the cabinet.
If approved, the scheme will be implemented in the 2026 fiscal year.
However, he said, the cabinet will have a final say in the matter.
The proposal, he said, will require an additional budget of 6.7 billion baht to cover all the recipients, saying amount is relatively small compared to other schemes.
He said the programme should be implemented to ensure all children have a proper early childhood development, especially considering the country’s declining birth rate.
The minister said the proposal has been reviewed by the public, and most people asked about it preferred the allowance increased to 1,200 baht for current recipients.
The child development support programme was launched in 2015. Under the scheme, children from poor families were given 400 baht per month until they turned one.
The policy was later expanded to cover children up to six years old, and the allowance was raised to 600 baht a month.
For a household to qualify for the scheme, the household’s earnings must not exceed 100,000 baht per annum.
Meanwhile, Mr Varawut said the ministry is also joining hands with the Department of Religious Affairs to better protect young novices from harassment and abuse at monastic venues.
He said a child protection centre at Wat Tham Tako in Lop Buri’s Muang district will be used as a model to promote child safety while the ministry will provide assistance and counselling to those who were affected by abuse, and their families.