Beijing increases maternity leave for its residents

BEIJING, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Lawmakers in Beijing passed a revised regulation on Friday that extends the additional maternity leave from 30 days to 60 days, on top of 98 days as stipulated in the national law.

New mothers can now have an additional leave of one to three months with the permission of their employers.

The favorable policies have been rolled out in an effort to reduce the burden of childbirth and childcare.

The regulation stipulates that the mother and the father are each entitled to a parental leave of five days every year before their child reaches the age of three.

It also calls for favorable policies on housing and subsidies for childcare.