Chile: from February 2020, paid leave for parents to care for sick children extended to cases of terminal illness

The SANNA law (Seguro de Acompañamiento para Niños y Niñas) has recently entered its third phase of application. Since 2018, this law (Ley n°21.063) has allowed for the implementation of a “universal and supportive” insurance system, whereby the parents of sick children can obtain a period of leave, which may last up to 90 days and be renewed once, during which they receive full pay. The insurance system applies to 3.5 million workers in Chile, who are parents of children aged between 1 and 18, and is funded through a social contribution paid by employers and employees – taken from their monthly wage – in the private and public sectors. Initially introduced for parents with children suffering from cancer, the scheme was extended in July 2018 to parents of children that have had transplant surgery. In its third phase of application, the law will also apply to parents of children who are terminally ill or in palliative care. In this case, the paid will last until the death of the child, without any limit on duration. From December 2020, the SANNA law will enter into its fourth phase of application and will be extended to parents of children involved in serious accidents that are life-threatening or cause serious or permanent damage. According to figures from the Chilean ministry of labour, since 2018, 938 cases of sick children have been approved and more than 5,000 paid holidays have been granted to their parents.