Vietnam offers cash for babies but potential parents are not biting

Vietnam offers cash for babies but potential parents are not biting Hanoi is subsidising prenatal and newborn screenings and giving cash bonuses of up to US$228 – two-thirds of the monthly average salary A new population law and regulations coming into effect on Wednesday extend maternity leave from six to seven months for mothers having a second child as well as offering financial help. If Hanoi residents Nguyen Kim Bich and her husband have a second child, she will get an extra month of maternity leave, free prenatal screenings and a small cash bonus. “I could stay at home one more month with the baby, and my husband could stay home some more days,” the 32-year-old said as her young son romped in a colourful pit of plastic balls. The new regime subsidises prenatal and newborn screenings and establishes one-off cash bonuses of up to US$228 – two-thirds of the monthly average salary – for mothers who meet certain criteria. “This is a significant shift in approach,” said Pham Thi Lan, head of population and development at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Vietnam. “We are moving from controlling family planning to focusing on population development.”