Raising a child in Macedonia costs parents between 150 and 200 denars per year, which comes to about 12–16 denars per month. These are basic living expenses, according to the Center for Equality and Justice, which surveyed 650 parents with children of various ages.
“What we concluded is also confirmed by research from other countries, and this is according to our research – the costs for younger children and older age groups are more serious, so families with infants and teenagers need the most financial resources to have a quality life and access to education and other children’s services,” said Katerina Shapkova-Kocevska, professor, researcher.
Although it is said that children’s education is free, parents have large additional expenses, according to the center that conducted the research.
“The analysis has also shown that for those services that the state says are free – such as education, for example – there are many hidden costs, such as paying for uniforms, paying for books, for hygiene materials for kindergartens, so parents are faced with many additional expenses even though the state tells them they are free,” said Neda Čalovska-Dimovska, “Center for Equality and Justice.”
Parents who participated in the research said that the support provided by the state is not sufficient for raising children and that when there are two or more children, the poverty rate for the family increases. After this, the organization “Center for Equality and Justice” demands that the state seriously engage in demographic policies and revise programs to support families. (Tv21)