Government Introduces Paid Leave for Guardians of State-Care Infants

The government has enacted revisions to its Civil Service Regulations, granting special paid leave to employees who assume guardianship of infants under state care. The changes are intended to align foster care benefits with existing maternity leave provisions and reflect a broader policy shift towards supporting alternative family structures.

The measures were announced earlier by Dr Aishath Shiham, who stated that the revised regulations would take effect in April. The amendments introduce adjustments to existing procedures to better accommodate the needs of children under state care and their guardians.

As part of the reforms, the government has moved to formalise temporary fostering arrangements in an effort to ease financial and logistical pressures on caregivers. Families facing financial hardship will be eligible for a monthly state allowance of USD 324.28 per child.

The duration of paid leave is determined by the age of the child. Civil servants who assume guardianship of an infant under six months are entitled to full salary and benefits until the child reaches six months of age. In cases where the child is older than six months, or reaches that age within 30 days of placement, guardians are granted 30 days of paid leave.

The policy changes come amid ongoing efforts to strengthen child welfare systems, with 111 children placed with families since November 2023.

Additional amendments have also been introduced to support working parents more broadly. Regulations now extend daily childcare allowances, requiring employers to provide two 30-minute paid breaks for childcare purposes until a child reaches two years of age. Previously, such provisions were limited to the first year after birth.