Hospital Child Care: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Quite often working parents are forced to take leave because of a child's illness. Such temporary incapacity for work is paid according to slightly different rules than the usual sick leave, when the employee is sick himself.

The rules for payments for the care of sick children are prescribed in the Federal Law "On the provision of benefits for disability, pregnancy and childbirth of citizens subject to compulsory social insurance".

Who can take a sick child care child?

Only parents or close relatives of the child can receive days for the care of a sick child if they work according to the employment contract. That is, those who work under a contract do not have the right to receive payment for care. If the care for the child is carried out by a person who does not belong to the family members, the allowance is also not paid.

A sick leave sheet for the care of a child is issued by a health worker to a relative (or guardian) who actually cares for a sick child. You can get a sick leave if you visit a doctor and if you find a disease that requires outpatient or inpatient treatment. It is dated on the day of direct contact of the patient with a doctor.

Up to what age can a child receive sickness benefit?

The hospital child care can be paid in case of sickness of children from birth to the age of fifteen. In the case when the mother is on leave for child care or maternity leave, the hospital will not be paid.

How does the experience of parents affect the amount of care payments?

The amount of payments directly depends on the length of service of the parent who cares for the child.

In addition, the payment of hospital care for a child is also determined by the treatment of the child: outpatient or hospitalization.

With an outpatient treatment, the first ten days are paid according to the length of the insurance period, and the next days at half the average salary. Inpatient care depends on the length of the parent's (or other relative's relative's) length of service.

The length of service affects the amount of benefits as follows

If you have been working for more than 8 years, the hospital child care service is 100% of the average salary, with an experience of 5-8 years - 80%, up to 5 years - 60%.

For the calculation of benefits taken into account the length of service, that is, the total length of service for a worker (and not a continuous length of service). This means that the time of any breaks in the work experience for various reasons for the length of service does not affect: the length of time is summed up by the records of the book.

Are there any restrictions on the duration of the sick-list?

Yes, there are such limitations.

Hospital care for children up to seven years can be paid in full for the period of treatment in an outpatient form or in the case of a stay with a child for treatment in a hospital, however, no more than 60 calendar days for the entire calendar year. In cases identified by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Development, payments can be made for up to 90 calendar days per year.

Hospital care for a child of 7-15 years is paid for 15 calendar days for each case of treatment of outpatient or co-stay with the parent in a hospital, but not more than 45 calendar days throughout the year.

There are no restrictions on the duration of the hospital for two categories of children: HIV-infected and those children whose diseases are associated with post-vaccination complications.

In addition, the hospital is paid in full in the case of quarantine in the kindergarten.

How to protect yourself to parents whose children often get sick?

This can be done by including in a collective or labor contract the payment of "overlimit" paid days for caring for a sick child. Then the payment of sick leave will be made at the expense of the wage fund. Or it is possible to distribute the holidays between all members of the family so that the paid rate is not exceeded.