Where It Pays to Be a Mom—Hint: Not in America

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The Free Stuff Moms Around the World Are GettingSwag. Freebies. Favors.

It doesn't matter what word you use, the concept is the same--it's free stuff, and we all love when we get it.

Especially when we're talking handouts that make raising kids infinitely easier.

For some American moms, the free baby formula we're sent home with from the maternity ward is reason enough to celebrate.

But if you're a mom in Sweden, Iceland or France, you could actually be getting other pretty valuable freebies, like free child care, a free hospital stay when you're in labor or free pelvic physical therapy (seriously, it's a thing) after giving birth.

And that's to say nothing of the governments who dole out cold, hard cash in exchange for you creating another citizen.

Can you guess in which countries moms get that lucky?

We did some international digging to find out.

To view the slide show as one long list, click into the show and choose "list view."

What other freebies do you know of in other countries?

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  • Rachel_coy

    The UK is also pretty good for maternity / child benefits.  9 months paid maternity leave (most at c.$200 a week); c. $400 per child set up as a trust fund; child benefit paid per child (c. $25-30 per week – not means-tested) and working family tax credits depending on how much you earn.

  • http://twitter.com/navigateher navigateher

    Paid maternity leave, free health care, subsidised daycare and other things are certainly not “freebies”. They are not “free stuff”, as the article suggests. Your No.1, Finland, is the most expensive country in Eurozone largely due to VAT being so high (24% for most things) AND income taxation is one of the steepest in Europe (as it is in other countries that you listed). Having 30% or over taken out of your every paycheck in taxes and paying high VAT for every single thing that you buy so that the government can afford to provide the level of social security is not amazing, cheap or free. We pay for everything that we have, but in taxes, not directly. Seriously, one of the stupidest articles I’ve read in a long time.

    • Toni REALTOR

      Typical American attitude… if you didn’t invent it, it’s not worth much. Many of the social systems enjoyed by many scandanavian countries are enjoyed by Canadians as well. We enjoy equal for all health care benefits and coverage, paid maternity leave for up to ONE year, available to moms OR dads, such a thing as “baby bonus” hard to believe,!  My cousin, an American, had to quit his skilled labour job and take a job at LESS money with a government office because it offered health care coverage, all because he did not have sufficient health care coverage for his family. His “catastrophic coverage” alone was costing $1000 per month… insane. His son’s broken arm cost him more than $12,000. in hospital visits…

       My brother in law in Canada had a quadrapule heart bypass, multiple (15+) kidney surgeries for kidney stones, a kidney transplant, and more throughout his life and unbelieveably, didn’t cost him ONE EXTRA CENT, other than his income taxes each year. Didn’t bankrupt him, his kids, or his wife, and he kept his home through it all, didn’t even have to re-mortgage to pay for surgeries..

      We have a GREAT social system. I applaude Canada for following the European trend of social care, we have adapted just fine to using the metric system like most of the world. We have coins for $1 and $2 which last 100 times longer than paper money, and thus a great cost saving measure by government. oh, and gays can legally marry here as well…

      • Guest915

        Toni, as a person with both US and EU citizenship who has had to receive medical care in both places, I much prefer the US version to the EU version. I caught the flu over in Spain and had to wait 5 days for a doctor unless I wanted to pay full cash price (my EU citizenship country is not Spain), and that was one of the smallest wait times that I found. Some doctors told me the wait period was a week to a week and a half. In the US, I can take my insurance and go to the doctor almost immediately. I had to argue with my doctor in Spain to give me an antiviral and cough suppressant because he insisted that I didn’t need medicine and just needed to get rest, to which I countered that I couldn’t sleep since I was coughing too much. He finally gave in.

        • guest

          I’m sure if you didn’t have insurance coverage in US things would have been different or, if you were a citizen of Spain, you would have received treatment fast. Also, maybe that Spanish doctor didn’t want to have to prescribe a narcotic to help you suppress your cough. A lot of people make stuff up to get their hands on those meds. 

        • Guest

          As a US citizen living outside the States (NZ), I would say I MUCH prefer the system here. If you weren’t a citizen of Spain, then I’m not overly surprised (much like non-citizens in the States have it). Even before I acquired permanent residency here (not citizenship, which I still do not have nor want), my medicine was subsidized. My asthma inhalers cost me about $6 each, most prescriptions are $3. I have never waited more than 10 mins at my doctor or 20 minutes at the ER when I had to go; my whole stay (dehydration) was free as well. My entire pregnancy I paid only for my prenatal vitamins, all care was free. I opted for a homebirth; however, I am entitled to a FREE hospital stay as well as 2 nights in a birthing centre to recovery where all needs, food, etc are free. You’re also provided with things like nappies, beanies, etc while there. All children medical needs (doctors visits, vaccinations, medicine, etc) is free under 5, and dentists are free while they’re still in school. Sure, our tax rate is a bit higher, but quality of life is much better. Knowing I don’t need to stress if there is a medical emergency and we don’t have the $$ to fork out is more than worth the trade off. 

          To combat all of that….I visited the States for a few weeks this year for my parents to meet my son. He got a bad fever on a Friday night. We had to take him to an after-hours clinic. Our bill just from the visit-not including the medicine-was $636. Luckily we got travel insurance, but shame on them. By “them”, not just the medical centre, but the entire government and country for the individualistic attitude of “all my money to myself”. 

          • soyouknow

            I live in Oklahoma, here we have something called sooner care, my twin girls were born at 26 weeks, sooner care paid for every penny of a 4 month long NICU stay that would have cost me millions for the multiple surgeries and for the other specialized care they received. All is well now they are perfectly normal children, still on sooner care all healthcare is taken care of by the state . . .

      • Frenc

         Why would a broken arm cost $12,000? I had a seizure two years ago, wound up in the ER, had a CT, MRI, EEG, and a number of blood tests. Total bill was around only $5,000, though I was able to get the majority written off because of my low income. Yes, our government really does help us with these things, but many people don’t know how to get the help. And as much as I would LOVE to be able to go into the doctor’s w/out worrying about whether or not I can pay my bills, it also terrifies me to know that there’s a possibility that our government will have ability to determine whether or not my sickness is worth “fixing”. I’ve heard a number of stories from countries with socialized health care where patients are turned away from treatment because of age or a low chance of survival. These are also countries with stagnant, or close to stagnant, economies and rapidly declining numbers of working citizens who still demand programs their countries will soon be unable to afford, so I don’t understand how anyone can support the idea after taking an honest look into the future.

        • Karen

          I had the misfortune of developing cancer without insurance.  I work three jobs just to pay medical bills.  Two of my jobs are just to pay medical bills–I live on the third and my widows benefits.  Because of the lack of help, I have a lein on my home and will never be out of debt.  When I die, my children will not be able to have my home since it will be sold to cover medical bills.  I have finally given in and decided to file bankruptcy but that will not free up my home.  Our country does not help people nearly enough.  Before people get angry at this comment, I do know that there are many people recieving free heallth care because they don’t work and collect welfare and live off the system.  The ones who suffer in our country are the ones who do work but cannot afford to buy insurance on our own.  The ones who don’t work have coverage.  That’s what needs fixed (I am not including those who truly can not work).

          • Karen

            I also don’t want to imply we should have free coverage.  I am willing to pay for insurance.  I just can’t offord for it to be in the hundreds of dollars per month.  Even now, with three jobs, I couldn’t because I would still be paying all the old bills which I cannot possibly live long enough to pay off.

          • k

            The constitution never guaranteed your right to medical care. That sucks that you got cancer several of my family members have had cancer and as I sit here both of my parents are in the hospital. Think about this: if you lived in one of those other countries you could have been denied treatment if your doctor didn’t think your chance of survival was good enough. What are you complaining about? Suck it up and act like a real American. The government doesn’t owe you crap. Government’s “help” or your freedom. You choose

    • yeah__but

      With our system, employers have to pay for it- and therefore they add up to 25 percent cost to every service and product they provide.  They cannot compete with companies based in countries that have national health care and do not burden the employer.  So we are all paying for it, one way or another- if not a VAT, we pay higher prices built into goods and services.  And we pay for everyone who doesn’t have health insurance.  

    • flutterbycook

      Your attitude is pathetic. We pay insane taxes in the US and have a terrible health care system. Our government is corrupt – the rich politicians get richer and average people can’t make ends meet. 12 weeks of unpaid leave IF you work for a large enough company is disgusting at best. These countries SUPPORT new parents in various ways, even if those parents pay into it with their taxes. We pay into SSI and other government funds that most of us will NEVER see in our lifetime. The only parents who are supported in this country are the degenerate slime who have more kids to collect more welfare money. Do your homework.

  • http://twitter.com/MichalZach1 Michal Zach

    Israel also offers a comparatively (to US) generous social security package to moms: 14 weeks paid leave, prenatal, neonatal and all healthcare is socialized, a one time payment for each birth (height of payment depending on the number of children born in one birth and if it’s the first birth), as well as child benefit payments until age 18.  

    However, as “Navigateher” said, we pay for all of this through our taxes, so it’s not really free- it’s probably less than we deserve… 

  • maggy

    do your research – in fact, Germany DOES offer payouts for children. It is about 150 Euros per month, and if children go to University after High School, parents are entitled to this payment until the child is 24.

    • petrami

      thank you! I tried posting a comment, but I’m not sure it posted correctly. The cash payments, free healthcare, free college tuition and maternity leave offered in Germany (despite high taxes) far outweigh the benefits the article lists for Italy, France or Spain.

  • Mondo1242

    What they don’t tell you is the almost 50% tax rate. There is no such thing as one the government’s dime. its one reason why europe is failing financially. Wake up.

    • Guest

      Australia and New Zealand have a lot of the same benefits and are nowhere near failing. Nor is their tax rate anywhere close to 50%. You wake up, and stop regurgitating the scare tactics spat at you from TV.

    • Patriot9878

      Europe like America are failing, because kosher bankers are doing funky things with the money. All the good jobs have left these high wage companies and the speculators have raised the price of fuel so much which has caused the price of everything to go through the roof and land taxes are going up up up. Just in the last five years with food, taxes and fuel expenditures have increased at our home by $11,000. This is designed to suck all the money out of the workers pockets.

  • Colletteviper

    NOTHING is free. SOMEONE is paying for it. Why should I pay for women to have children when I’m paying for my own?

    • guest

      these countries are encouraging population growth which has been on the decline since the end of WWII… that’s the primary reason.  And then there’s the fact that in those countries the raising of children is considered precious and a more proactive attitude is taken in their society. If you lived there, you wouldn’t complain… it’s a great thing, and if you dont have any kids, then too bad.  (You are contradicting yourself when you say “why should I pay….. when I’m paying for my own”.  It’s either or, not both)
      In this country, some insurance plans started covering in-vitro fertilization – who do you think is paying for that? You, if you have insurance! (ironically, I know of two women who’ve had TWO babies each in that way, both later got divorced too) I could argue why would we want this, but that’s our society…. seems like having the kids is more important than taking care of them afterwards…

      • Patriot9878

        WWI and WWII were nothing, but lies. How much is a life worth? Is a billion enough? So all these warmongering countries who create wars for drugs and oil should have to give each soldier a billion if killed. There are more  wars planned. Children must be raised right and not harmed in any way. Life is so precious, but not worth much during wartime, because during WWII they dropped bombs on every German city and destroyed them all and many were killed as their baby was breastfeeding or as the poor baby laid in their crib.

  • joesockit

    Go to those European Countries, They don’t have cities like Detroit and St Louis where half of the population is illiterate and on every government program available. The US has alot of people who are uneducated and basically unemployable for life mostly by their own choosing.
    The schools, while not the best, are there but there is no parenting so they learn nothing and drop out long before they graduate. You don’t have that in Sweden.
    Our system guarantees the generational welfare families. We should consider paying these people NOT to have kids..

    • Patriot9878

      The government can give money, but birth rates have fallen far behind. These governments will pay for your child, but if war breaks out and they have to go to war, then you give back your child’s life. It all balances out the government has it all figured out. As for school I went to school. I home schooled the kids and could go anywhere at anytime. Used the kids to work in the businesss by the time they were 8 years old. We were around the kids a lot more. School is a waste of time. If your chil isn’t going to higher education let them quit school, but make sure you have work for them or a job they can do. School makes you lazy and where do they learn about drugs and having sex at the schools. So think when your daughter is in school boys are grabbing her arse and your son mght learn to smoke. College is even worse. They say they have to go to college 1,000 miles away and then your daughter is gang banging drunk on the beach. So please keep the kids at home. They can learn more and you can go places. School should last no more than half a day. Reading, writing, aritmetic and geography, but not history, because history taught in schools is nothing, but a lie. Wars are told by the victors and the USA won both world wars. So you won’t get the truth there. They can’t lie about geography and only somewhat at science.

  • MagPieC

    you forgot Canada :) You get 1 yr maternity benefits, free hospital stay & free delivery! Plus $100 for each child you have until age 6. Also if you can recieve about $160-$200/per child monthly for child tax benifit monthly until the child turns 18! :)

    • MagPieC

      Either the Mother or Father can collect the benefits or both can share then 50/50

  • KCro2006

    what they don’t say here is France taxes their people to death too. 75% for the rich people.

  • Kate

    In Germany the benefits for mothers are excellent – 14 weeks of full pay during maternity leave (paid by your health insurer), 67% of your salary for a year of parental year – which can be split over two years, midwife care of your choosing – for before and after birth. After birth, the midwife visits for up to 8 weeks, including a maximum of 16 visits, and pelvic training after birth plus antenatal classes are paid by your health insurer. Furthermore, if you are in a permanent position, your employer is obliged to keep your job open as long as three years. And after three years, you have the right to have your job back.
    Your partner also has the possibility to take parental leave – a total of 2 months during the first year. 

    • http://www.facebook.com/tanya.dmitrieva.7773 Tanya Dmitrieva

      It iwlll never cover the fact Germany was blown to bits for trying to rid Europe of Communism and the millions of Germans lost. Now they learn all European coutnries are drying up and they aren’t having people born to pay the old people. Now in Russia and other countries they want to pay people to have kids and it’s too little too late. They are making babies for future wars.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=807438083 Kymm Bradley

    The problem is who would WANT their child educated in France. Period. They are a typical FAILED Euro disaster

  • petrami

    Without getting into a debate about healthcare……This article is very, very, mistaken in the area of Germany. Completely contrary to what it states, Germany does offer a cash payment per child, every quarter until the child reaches the age of 18. It is called “Kindergeld” and the current amount per infant/young child is roughly $286 each quarter, and the amount keeps increasing as the child ages, at the age of 18 the parent(s) receive roughly $411 per quarter. That’s rather nice, if you ask me, and it completely outweighs the cash payments the article states Italy or Spain offer. Yes, Europeans pay very steep taxes, but they get a lot for it. In addition to Kindergeld, in Germany they do offer 14 weeks paid maternity leave at 100%, they have free healthcare, and free college tuition. As far as the benefits of having a child go, which is what the point of the article was (not to spur a debate about taxes or healthcare) I’d say they have it pretty nice in Europe, especially in Germany. And as someone who has stayed in a German hospital, and seen German doctors on an emergency basis- as a foreigner, and not as a tax-paying German citizen, mind you, I can honestly say (as the article also eludes) that I have had the best medical care I have ever had in my life, in America or not.

  • guest

    No one mentions Norway who by far has the best benefits…

    • http://www.facebook.com/tanya.dmitrieva.7773 Tanya Dmitrieva

      You could have that in those countries. You got few blacks and mexicans. and the people dont eat junk food like in America. AMericans are fat obese people and the food they eat is screwing up the country. In Russia they are poor and they are starting to eat that fast junk food and you people will pay if you eat it. I know people in the USA eat fast food two and three meals a day. IT has no nutrtion and isloaded iwth salt and sugar and grease.

  • http://www.facebook.com/tanya.dmitrieva.7773 Tanya Dmitrieva

    You can not have free healthcare in a country full of blacks and mexicans. At night when you go to the emergency room it is so full of meixcans and blacks you have to wait 5 hours. THey don’t go to regular doctors. Free healthcare can’t happen here.

  • Kamilla Jacobsen

    Actually, its 48 weeks on leave with 100% of your salary, or 52 weeks with 80%, in Norway. Free healthcare for the child until the age of 12, then the goverment covers 80% of the cost for the rest of your life. Free birth, free midwife of your choosing and your own room while delivering.