- Almost 9,590 mothers and more than 9,661 Madrilenian fathers have been beneficiaries of this Social Security benefit in this quarter and in 127 cases they have been received by single-parent families
- This first quarter, almost 2,265 surpluses were processed, 79.4% of which were requested by women .
- The childbirth and childcare allowance, extended in July 2025, is generally 17 weeks, to be enjoyed during the child’s first year, and two more weeks until the child reaches the age of 8.
In the first quarter of this year, 9,590 mothers and 9,661 fathers enjoyed the childbirth and childcare benefit, a benefit that was extended in July 2025 to 19 weeks of paid leave at 100% in the general sense and up to 32 weeks for single-parent families. In total, 20,047 benefits have been enjoyed in Madrid families; however, the data indicate that contrary to the national trend, the number of applications fell in Madrid by 1.78% compared to the same period of 2025.
These figures correspond to periods enjoyed between January and March of this year, so the figures could be several during the year 2026.
Specifically, between January and March of this year, the Social Security paid 20,047 benefits for birth and child care, of which 5,385 correspond to the first parent, usually the mother, and 6401, to the second parent, usually the father. Among them, 1,320 benefits have been managed in single-parent family processes, of which 122 corresponded to women and 5 to men, with La Rioja and Soria being the regions with the highest number of single-parent processes reaching 250.
The birth permit consists of 17 weeks until the baby turns one year old, plus two additional weeks until he turns 8. In the case of single-parent families, there are 32 and four, respectively. In addition, the amount of the benefit is equivalent to the contribution base of the month prior to childbirth, adoption, care or fostering, and is paid directly by the National Social Security Institute (INSS) during the weeks of the leave.
Although the extension of the permit occurred in July 2025, the additional weeks that can be enjoyed up to the child’s 8 years of age have begun to be requested since January 1, 2026. At this time, families whose children were born on or after 2 August 2024 can be accommodated retroactively.
Parental and childcare leave, which is inherited from the old maternity and paternity benefits, is recognized as an individual and non-transferable right held by both parents. “The equalization of maternity and paternity benefits was a crucial step in terms of reconciliation and its extension reinforces that message: parenting is a right and an obligation of men and women,” explains Minister of Inclusion Elma Saiz.
The expenditure associated with this benefit in 2026 has been 170.8 million euros, 19% of the total benefits, only surpassed by Catalonia in expenses associated with them. This is the first time that Catalonia has exceeded the number of birth benefits in Andalusia. In particular, 23,026 benefits have been managed in Catalonia and 23,009 in Andalusia.
The term of resolution of the provision of birth and child care in the first quarter of 2026 has been, on average, 9.85 days.
The average duration of active birth and child care leave between January and March 2026 in Madrid was 112.22 days, similar to the national one. The duration of the leave of women from Madrid lasts 5 days more, up to 114.7, than that of men, which has been 109.77.
Excess care of child, foster child or family member
On the other hand, the number of surpluses registered between January and March was 2,265, of which 1,800 corresponded to women, 79.4%, and 465 to men, which is equivalent to 20.5%. In Madrid there has been a reduction of 1.78, while overall, there has been a decrease of -2.8% in the number of surpluses; however, Cantabria (+27.5%), the Canary Islands (+23.9%) and Galicia (+19.1%) have experienced a significant increase.
Madrid (2,265), Catalonia (1,641), Andalusia (1,437), Valencia (1,337) and the Basque Country (Minist968) are the autonomous communities with the most processed surpluses.
Workers may apply for leave to care for children or minors who have been taken in or for the care of other family members. The first three years of leave to care for a foster child are considered an effective contributory period for the purposes of Social Security benefits for retirement, permanent disability, death and survival, maternity and paternity. The first year of leave to care for other family members is also considered to be actually paid for the purposes of these benefits.
The National Institute of Social Security (INSS) offers the possibility of applying for the birth and child care benefit telematically, through the portal Tu Seguridad Social https://sede.seg-social.gob.es/.
Successive periods of rest by birth and childcare may also be requested electronically, if the parents choose to divide the period.