The Government has presented an important reform to support the family and promote the birth rate in the period 2025-2026. Inserted in the Medium-Term Structural Budget Plan, this reform aims to combat the demographic decline and improve the quality of life of Italian families
.
In this article we will see what the main measures of the reform are, when they will come into force and how these changes will benefit parents, especially mothers.
Improving Daycare and Early Childhood Services
A key point of the reform is the increase in early childhood services. The Government has allocated 735 million euros to reduce territorial disparities and improve infrastructure dedicated to kindergartens. The goal is to expand the coverage of kindergartens to 33% on a national scale, with particular attention to the Southern Regions
.
In practice, 31,600 new places are expected to be created in kindergartens for children from 0 to 2 years old in more than 800 Italian municipalities. This expansion is part of a larger plan already initiated with the PNRR, which aims to create a total of 150,480 new places for children from 0 to 6 years old by
2026.
Extension of School Hours to the Afternoon
Among the changes introduced, the reform also provides for the extension of afternoon school hours in schools. This intervention has a dual objective: to combat early school leaving and to facilitate family management, offering greater flexibility to working parents, especially mothers
.
News on Parental Leave
Since 2025, the Government is considering introducing equal parental leave for both parents, with 5 months paid at 100%. This measure aims to rebalance the burden of care between fathers and mothers, encouraging the permanence of women in the
labor market.
In addition, the increase in mandatory paternity leave and a greater number of parental leave for fathers in the private sector are under discussion.
Decontribution for Working Mothers
The reform also includes a series of incentives to support women’s employment. The women employment bonus and the bonus for mother workers with three or more children, already active in 2024, will be extended until 2026. These incentives aim to encourage mothers to return to work after the period of leave
.
Measures to Promote Female Employment
Another area of reform intervention concerns the promotion of women’s employment. Training and career tools for women will be strengthened, with a focus on the professional integration of mothers and women with family care responsibilities
.
Among the measures being studied, there are new child bonuses and family bonuses, to financially support families with children.
Single Universal Check: Reconfirmation and Amendments
The Single Universal Check will be confirmed in 2025 as a structural measure, but some changes are being studied. The Minister for Equal Opportunities and the Family, Eugenia Roccella, is considering the possibility of excluding the Single Allowance from the calculation of family income (ISEE), to avoid penalizing large families in accessing other bonuses
.
In addition, the duration of the Single Allowance could be extended to include children up to 26 years old, if engaged in training or academic courses.
National Strategy for Gender Equality
Another pillar of the reform is the National Strategy for Gender Equality, launched in 2021 and which will continue until 2026. The goal is to improve Italy’s position in the European Union’s gender equality index, with an increase of 5 points by 2026
.
The strategy focuses on five priorities: work, income, skills, time and power, with the aim of fostering greater inclusion of women in the world of work and in society.
When Will the Reform Take Effect
The family and birth reform measures will gradually come into force starting in 2025, with the aim of being fully implemented by 2026. The Government presented these proposals in the Medium-Term Structural Budget Plan, which traces the path of reforms for the next two years
.
The 2025-2026 family and birth reform represents an important step towards supporting Italian families and combating the demographic decline. With new resources for child services, improvements in parental leave and incentives for working mothers, the Government aims to create an environment that is more favorable to the growth of families and the participation of women in the world of
work.