In a significant development in the battle over daycare subsidies for avreichim, Israel’s State Prosecutor’s Office informed the High Court of Justice that it will reinstate funding for roughly 1,500 avreich families, reversing the prior stance of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who had opposed such subsidies since the start of the year. The decision follows a petition filed by the Emes L’Yaakov B’Yisrael organization and comes with an updated set of eligibility guidelines.
According to figures presented in an earlier High Court session, the policy shift will impact approximately 1,500 families who met the criteria for subsidies for the second half of 5785 but were denied assistance. Estimates put the retroactive funding at around 100 million shekels for six months, with the changes projected to cost an additional 200 million shekels in 5786.
A previous petition by Emes L’Yaakov had secured parents a half-year adjustment period. Now, even after the new rules officially took effect, about half of parents who combine qualifying work or professional studies with their Torah learning will still be able to receive the subsidy.
New Subsidy Guidelines
Following the petition, the Labor and Welfare Ministry released updated rules granting full subsidies to avreichim who also engage in qualifying employment or professional training:
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Employees: Must work for three consecutive, full months with a salary of no less than 3,200 shekels per month.
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Self-Employed: Must submit an accountant’s or tax consultant’s declaration, along with a signed affidavit from the parent.
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Professional Studies/Training: Must provide a signed attendance confirmation, proof of payment, and documentation from the institution detailing days and hours of study.
The organization reported that as a result of its third petition, the vast majority of the 491 toddlers whose applications were initially rejected and appealed have now been accepted into daycare. It is urging parents to stand up for their rights and not give up.
However, it cautions that the new guidelines are expected to create unusually high demand at the Labor Ministry’s call centers, asking parents to remain patient. The group also said it is reviewing certain individual decisions that, in its view, appear to deviate from the established criteria.
{Matzav.com Israel}
