Sociālā aizsardzība ģimenēm ar bērniem = Social Protection for Families with Children
Authors:   ,   Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Mistre Baiba 
Published: March 2024

Baiba Mistre. The doctoral thesis Social Protection for Families with Children, Jelgava 2024. Hypothesis: social protection for families with children is diverse in Latvia, yet it needs to be enhanced in line with the economic situation in the country. Based on the hypothesis put forward, the aim of the doctoral thesis is to design priority action scenarios for the enhancement thereof based on an assessment of social protection for families with children in Latvia. The following specific research tasks were set to achieve the aim: 1) to give insight into the nature and development of the social protection system; 2) to analyse the development of social protection policies for families with children and the legal and institutional frameworks therefor; 3) to assess social protection for families with children and the factors therein with regard to EU Member States; 4) to design scenarios for potential enhancement of social protection for families with children in Latvia. Based on the research tasks set, the research results are structured in four chapters. Chapter 1 gives insight into the nature, structure and development of the social protection system and welfare state and social insurance models, identifying their advantages and disadvantages. It analyses the nature and kinds of social transfers, as well as identifies and classifies the indicators of social protection. Chapter 2 analyses the development of social protection policies for families with children at the international and the national level, examined the relevant legal framework, as well as the institutional system for social transfer administration. In Latvia, maternity, paternity, parental and family benefits have increased along with economic growth, whereas child care and childbirth allowances have not been changed for a long time. Chapter 3 assesses social protection for families with children in Latvia and the regions, as well as analyses it with regard to EU Member States. In the Baltic States and in the EU Nordic Member States, the procedures for setting a family benefit were different. Estonia provided substantial support for families with many children, while in Lithuania and Sweden, the sizes of the benefit were similar for all children. Lithuania has renounced personal income relief for families with children, admitting that it was not fair for all families, and replaced it with a larger family benefit. In Chapter 4, based on the obtained complex factors (demographic, social and economic), the EU member states are divided into clusters, and the clusters are compared in order to evaluate the social protection of families with children. Using the expert method, the chapter designs and evaluates scenarios for enhancing social protection for families with children, recommending the most appropriate one for Latvia. The most appropriate scenario for Latvia is the one that envisages replacing PIT relief for families with children with a larger family benefit. The doctoral thesis ends with the main conclusions, the problems identified and proposals for the government of the Republic of Latvia, the Ministry of Welfare, the Ministry of Finance, the State Employment Agency, the State Social Insurance Agency, the State Revenue Service, local governments and parental public organizations for solving the problems. The length of the doctoral thesis for obtaining the degree of Doctor of Sciences (Ph.D.) is 138 pages. It contains 40 tables, 28 figures and 24 annexes and referred to 290 sources of information, incl. 105 in English.