사회의 지속발전을 위한 아동수당제도의 도입 — 프랑스 법제의 시사점 —

The present government announced that children’s allowance(child benefit) would be legislated in 2018 to overcome the extreme low birthrate and rapidly aging population. Compared with the developed countries, our children’s allowance is just going to begin and there will be much debate on the issue of children’s allowance. French family allowance system is a good material to discuss this issue because it focuses on the right of child and removing the blind spots in operating the institution. Before taking the main subject, it should be assured of the main purpose of the children’s allowance. Nowadays, the children’s allowance is in the limelight as a childbirth encouragement policy. Not only that, but the children’s allowance is to guarantee the child’s health growth and good education and support a household with preservation of income. French family allowance system is composed of seven benefits which are classified into the three categories. First, general dependance allowance is made up of family benefit, family supplement, and family support allowance. Secondly, child on the birth, adoption and to be in care allowance consists of several welcoming children benefits. Thirdly, in special supplement allowance, there are education allowance for disabled children, back-to-school allowance, and parents’ daily attendance allowance. We should learn the advantege of French legislation which focuses the children’ right as well-being, works on the principle of social solidarity, eliminates the blind spots, and summates the selective benefits on the basis of universal benefits. I submit a few proposals for introducing Korean children’s allowance. First, the children’s allowance institution is operated on the priciple of social solidarity, therefore it is financed by a social-security tax named children’s care tax. Secondly, the children including adoptees should be assured the benefits until they will be able to achieve financial independence as a majority. Thirdly, to ensure the parents’ right of choice, the benefit must be paid in cash. Also fourthly, the benefits should be increased according to the augmentation of children. Fifthly, the scattered laws for enhancing the children’s welfare such as child welfare act, act on welfare support for children with disabilities, single-parent family support act, should be integrated for easy access of parents. Most of all, it should be emphasized that the principle of operation the children’s allowance system is the social solidarity serving the children’s health growth.