Explainer: What we know about the newly proposed Family Fund to protect children?

Ahram Online , Tuesday 27 Dec 2022

The Egyptian government is currently working on establishing a new fund aimed at providing sustainable financial protection to children during any family dispute between the parents.

File Photo: Egyptian children on their first day of school in Cairo on 28 September, 2015. AP

Many details about the proposed fund were revealed by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi during the opening of national projects on Thursday as well as by Minister of Justice Omar Marwan in TV remarks later in the day.

Ahram online has compiled a list of the most important points related to the family fund.

The fund is part of the amendments – currently studied by the government – to the Personal Status Law which regulates marriage, divorce, alimony, custody and child support.
The fund will provide sustainable financial assistance to children of divorced parents to cover their expenses, especially educational and housing expenses.
It aims to protect children from any foreseeable consequences that result from disputes which lead to an end in marriages or lawsuits to settle such disputes over alimony and child support.
The new fund differs substantially from the fund previously established to support families left with no breadwinner. The former fund, which provided monthly assistance of no more than EGP 500 and which was managed by Nasser Social Bank, currently incurs EGP 350 million in debt.
The new fund will be partly financed by would-be couples, who will be required to pay a sum – to be determined later – as part of the procedures for registering their marriage.
The government will contribute to the fund by matching amounts paid by would-be couples.
The fund will pay for children’s expenses in case of the failure of the the fathers to do so.
The fund will be managed by the Ministry of Social Solidarity or by another body to be determined later, according to Marwan.
A committee of sociology, religious and actuarial science experts are working on drafting bylaws for the fund.
The new amendments to the Personal Status Law -- as well as the fund's bylaws -- are expected to be finalised within weeks.
The government will hold a societal dialogue on the new amendments and ensure the participation of all concerned parties including youths and divorced parents.
The amended law will then be referred to the House of Representatives.