子ども予算で「特別会計」創設　関連費を一元管理―政府検討

　政府が子ども関連予算の一元管理に向け、特別会計の創設を検討していることが１７日分かった。政府は「異次元の少子化対策」の実現に向けて、児童手当の拡充などを目指しており、給付と負担の関係を「見える化」するのが狙い。今後具体的な仕組みを詰める。
　政府は６月に策定する経済財政運営の基本指針「骨太の方針」で、子ども・子育て予算の倍増に向け大枠を示す方針だ。制度横断的な施策で予算総額の拡大が見込まれる中、一般会計とは別に、特別会計で支出と負担を明確化し、国民の理解を得たい考えだ。
　新たな特別会計は、こども家庭庁が所管する児童手当や厚生労働省が担当する育児休業給付などの関連予算が対象となる見通し。今後拡充する関連施策も同会計で管理する方針だ。
　政府は現在、岸田文雄首相が議長を務める「こども未来戦略会議」で優先施策の絞り込みや安定財源確保に向けた方策の協議を進めている。財源に関しては、政府・与党内で社会保険料に上乗せする案などが議論されている。（2023/05/17-14:07）

The Japanese government is considering setting up a special account for managing its child care-related budgets in an integrated way, hoping to clarify the balance between benefits and burdens, informed sources said Wednesday.
   The government is mulling the step as it prepares to devise "measures on a different dimension" to address the declining birthrate, possibly including an expansion of child care allowances. Details of the special account will be decided later, according to the sources.
   The government is set to include an outline of a plan to double children-related spending in its annual basic economic and fiscal policy guidelines to be compiled in June.
   With cross-sectoral measures to be worked out for beefing up the country's child care support expected to lead to expanded budgets, the government hopes to gain public understanding for the move by securing transparency on related expenses and burdens through the creation of the special account, separate from the general account of the government budget.
   The new special account is expected to cover budgets for child care allowances under the jurisdiction of the Children and Families Agency and child care leave benefits handled by the welfare ministry, as well as upcoming countermeasures to address the falling birthrate.