The Fund for the Protection of Families with Children provided by the State Insurance Law for 2008 is worth 93,110 lei (about 5,600 euros), Info-Prim Neo reports. The Fund includes lump-sum childbirth allowances for insured persons – 13,750 lei; and monthly benefits for persons looking after children younger than 3 years – 79,360 lei. The social insurance budget includes the programme for financial assistance of families in case of maternity, for raising children, in case of sickness or death of family members, as well as financial assistance for professional athletes, with a total cost of 721,800 lei, of which 557,700 lei will be covered by the state social insurance budget and 164,100 lei by the State Budget. The programme provides lump-sum childbirth allowances; monthly benefits for insured persons looking after children younger than 3 years; monthly benefits for uninsured persons looking after children younger than 1 and a half year; monthly parental allowances for insured and uninsured persons raising children aged 3-16 years and 1.5-16 years, respectively; maternity allowances for employees; and others. This year, the lump-sum childbirth allowance is worth 1,200 lei for the first-born child and 1,500 lei for each subsequent child. The list of families with children entitled to parental allowances is established by the National Social Insurance House (CNAS). Benefits shall be paid through the outlets of the Savings Bank (Banca de Economii SA) or the state-run enterprise Moldova Mail (Posta Moldovei), under agreements signed with CNAS. The 2008 Law on State Social Insurance Budget took effect on January 1.