How to get compensation from the state for paying for babysitting services? Who is entitled to such payments in the new year? How much money can you get from the Municipal Nanny program?
What is a municipal nanny?
Previously, every family could get compensation for a nanny / istockphoto.com
A state program called "Municipal nanny" was introduced in Ukraine in 2019. Contrary to its name, it does not imply the provision of a public nanny service. This is a social project of partial compensation for the cost of looking after a child under three years old. Simply put, you yourself
looking for a nanny, hire her to work and pay her the agreed amount. And the state returns you part of your expenses every month - in the amount of one living wage for a child under 6 years old.The program has its own rules and restrictions. So, in order to receive compensation for hiring a nanny, you need to look for a "legal" specialist. A grandmother from the next doorway will not work - a nanny must be officially registered (as a self-employed person, a private entrepreneur or a law firm) and must pay taxes from her salary. It is necessary to conclude an employment contract with her, and the salary must be paid by bank transfer. A check, receipt or bank statement is the basis for calculating a government payment.
A nanny can work for you part-time: you can conclude a part-time contract, according to which you will be provided with childcare services two hours a day, or three times a week, or several times a month. In any of these cases, the family will be entitled to compensation (if the salary is higher than the amount paid from the state), and the amount of this compensation will be the same, regardless of your costs.
Municipal nanny 2022: what has changed?
Family with two babies now has a nanny pay / istockphoto.com
From the moment the program was introduced until December last year, any Ukrainian family with a child under three years old could apply for compensation for babysitting services. However, the authorities analyzed the costs of the program and found that the money was received by the wrong people. Many parents entered into "fake" agreements with nannies to receive payments. The "dummy nannies" themselves were found. For example, one of these workers managed to simultaneously "look after" children from 10 families in different districts of Kiev.
Because of this, the government decided to impose restrictions. Starting from 2022, only those categories of families who need help with childcare the most can count on compensation for hiring a nanny. These families include:
- families with two or more children under three years old
- families with a child under three years old who needs additional care (for example, a child with a disability, congenital malformations, cerebral palsy, orphan diseases, oncology, diabetes mellitus)
- families with a child under three years old, if one of the parents is a disabled person of 1 or 2 groups
The amount of the payment remained unchanged. This is one living wage for a child under 6 years old (in 2022 it is 2100 UAH) when caring for a healthy child; or two living wages for a child under 6 years old (4200 UAH) when caring for a child with a disability or serious illness. If the family has two or more children, compensation can be paid for each child. The main thing is to prescribe in the contract with the nanny that her duties include looking after several children.
How do I apply for a nanny payment?
You will receive a nanny compensation every month / istockphoto.com
In order to apply for compensation under the Municipal Nanny program, you will need, first of all, to find a nanny and conclude an employment contract with her. Be sure to indicate in the contract:
- name and description of the service (what the nanny will do, and to what extent)
- the number of children to be looked after by the nanny and their data
- conditions, terms and frequency of work
- price and frequency of payment for services
- responsibility and location of the parties to the contract
If you fall under the category of families who are eligible for program compensation this year "Municipal nanny", then within a month after the conclusion of the contract, you can apply for accrual payments. Such applications are accepted in the Centers for the provision of administrative services and territorial departments of social protection of the population. Together with the application, you will need to submit the following documents:
- copy of the contract with the nanny
- a document that confirms that you paid for her services
- a document that confirms that the child has a serious illness or disability
If all documents are drawn up correctly, then the decision on payment of compensation should be made 10-13 working days after the application was submitted. And the money will be credited to the card with a "delay" in a month: if you applied for a nanny in January, you will receive compensation for paying for her services until February 10. Compensation for February - until March 10, and so on. If, for some reason, the contract with the nanny had to be terminated, then this must be reported to the department of social protection no later than the next day.
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