In 2025, the incentive landscape for Italian families has been enriched with new opportunities, thanks to measures designed to support the birth rate and promote work-life balance , i.e. a healthy balance between work and private life.
Among these, the Nursery Bonus and the New Born Bonus stand out , fundamental tools for reducing the costs associated with caring for the little ones within the family unit.
Let's see in detail how it works and the new features introduced this year.
What are the incentives for families in 2025?
2025 brings with it important updates to policies to support families , including:
● the Nursery Bonus , i.e. a financial contribution towards the costs of attending nursery schools or for home care for children with serious pathologies.
● The New Born Bonus , a one-off payment of 1,000 euros for each child born or adopted from 1 January 2025.
These measures are in addition to the Universal Single Allowance , already in force, offering concrete support to new parents and families with young children.
Let's see them in detail...
What is the Nursery Bonus?
The Nursery Bonus is a contribution paid by INPS, intended for parents of children under three years of age, which is divided into two types:
- Nursery School Contribution , for the costs of attending public or authorised private nursery schools.
- Contribution for home support , for home care for children with serious chronic pathologies.
The bonus is therefore designed to cover the costs of attending public or private authorized nursery schools and/or those for home care for children affected by serious chronic diseases, which prevent them from attending nursery school.
The amount of the bonus received varies based on the ISEE and the child's date of birth, but we will talk about this in more detail shortly.
What is the Newborn Bonus?
The New Born Bonus is a one-off contribution of 1,000 euros for each child born or adopted starting from 1 January 2025.
To access the bonus, you must submit the application within 60 days of birth or adoption, have an ISEE for minors not exceeding 40,000 euros, be resident in Italy and have Italian citizenship, EU or a valid residence permit.
Today, however, we will focus mainly on the nursery bonus for workers with children, especially in relation to the role that Corporate Welfare can have in this sense.
So let's go step by step and summarize everything you need to know.
Who can benefit from the Nursery Bonus?
The following can claim the bonus:
● Parents of children under three years of age enrolled in an authorised public or private nursery.
● Parents of children with serious chronic illnesses who require home care.
It is also necessary - as mentioned - that the applicant is resident in Italy, has Italian citizenship, EU or a valid residence permit and presents a valid ISEE for minors.
When to apply for the 2025 Nursery Bonus?
Applications can be submitted online on the INPS portal starting from March 25, 2025 and until December 31, 2025.
You can also contact a patronage for assistance in completing and submitting the application.
What documents are needed for the Nursery Bonus?
To request the bonus, you must attach:
● Tax code of the minor.
● INPS attendance form issued by the nursery school.
● Monthly fee payment receipts.
● Updated ISEE for minors (optional, but necessary for amounts above the minimum).
● Medical certification for home care (if applicable).
How much must the ISEE be to get the Nursery Bonus? Let's calculate the amount of the contribution
As mentioned, the amount of the nursery bonus varies based on the ISEE minors. Let's clarify the dates and related amounts.
For children born before January 1, 2024 :
● with ISEE up to 25,000 euros, the amount will be 3,000 euros per year.
● with ISEE between 25,001 and 40,000 euros, the amount will be 2,500 euros per year.
● with ISEE over 40,000 euros or none, the amount will be 1,500 euros per year.
For children born on or after 1 January 2024 :
● with ISEE up to 40,000 euros, the amount will be 3,600 euros per year.
● with ISEE over 40,000 euros or none, the amount will be 1,500 euros per year.
The contribution is paid in a maximum of 11 monthly installments and cannot exceed the amount actually paid for nursery school fees .
In the case of home care, the contribution is paid in a single solution.
When will the Nursery Bonus money arrive?
Payments are made after the application has been submitted and the documentation has been verified by INPS.
It is therefore important to promptly upload payment receipts to unlock the disbursement of the contribution.
Now that we have clarified the more technical and bureaucratic aspects point by point, we can dedicate ourselves to the innovations and the role of Welfare.
Nursery Bonus Situation: What's New for 2025
The main innovations introduced in 2025 for the benefit of new parents include:
● an increase in the maximum amount to 3,600 euros, for children born after 1 January 2024.
● The elimination of the requirement to have a second child under 10 years of age to access the maximum amount.
● The exclusion of the Single Allowance from the calculation of the ISEE for the nursery bonus.
● Simplification of procedures for submitting documentation, including via the INPS app.
But what is the role of Corporate Welfare in all of this?
Corporate Welfare and Nursery Bonus Today
In the panorama of family support measures, Corporate Welfare plays an increasingly strategic role, especially when it can also be integrated with public instruments, as in the case of the Nursery Bonus .
For companies that invest in their employees’ well-being, offering childcare services is a concrete way to increase worker satisfaction and promote work-life balance.
But what is meant by “corporate welfare linked to the nursery”?
The term corporate welfare nursery refers to the set of initiatives, benefits (such as flexible working hours ) or reimbursements that the company can offer to employees to cover the costs related to caring for younger children and in particular to attending nursery school.
Some companies are increasingly choosing to provide their employees with a company nursery , within the same building or in adjacent areas, but obviously this is not always and not for everyone feasible.
Through Welfare, however, it is also possible to offer other forms of support to parenting, such as:
● a full or partial refund of nursery school fees;
● vouchers for babysitting services;
● agreements with educational institutions;
● flexible contributions, payable through Welfare platforms.
But how does Corporate Welfare interact with the support provided by the State?
Is it possible to combine the Nursery Bonus with Corporate Welfare benefits?
Yes, but be careful.
The INPS nursery bonus can be combined with contributions paid by the employer , as long as the amount requested from INPS does not exceed the expense actually incurred by the parent.
In practice, if the nursery costs 400 euros per month and the company covers 200 euros through welfare, you can request up to 200 euros from INPS ; otherwise, the amount covered by the company must be deducted from the total you intend to request as a bonus.
Furthermore, the company contribution can also be used to cover expenses that are not reimbursable by the INPS bonus , such as undocumented extra expenses or supplementary services such as pre- and post-school.
Why should companies invest in welfare for new parents ?
The reasons for investing in welfare for new parents by companies are now well known, but a review doesn't hurt. Integrating the nursery bonus with a Corporate Welfare plan means improving the retention of younger employees who are starting a family, reducing turnover ; but also improving the performance of employees, who can potentially be more focused on work, in a certainly delicate and stressful moment in their lives.
As always, along with welfare measures adopted by companies, there are usually greater opportunities to attract new talent , especially among young people who are sensitive to "pro-family" issues, in addition to the usual tax advantages (full deduction of the cost of services provided), which is the key advantage for companies.
Across the board, for new parents and for all workers affected by these measures, a better work-life balance is naturally promoted.
According to recent studies, companies that adopt inclusive family welfare plans ( Diversity and Inclusion or D&I) and support female empowerment have more motivated employees and less absenteeism, especially among new parents.
Welfare platforms and integrated services for births
Today, many companies rely on digital welfare platforms to provide contributions for nursery school. It is unthinkable, in 2025, to resort to analog tools: all parties involved in welfare expect an efficient, fast, easy-to-use online service. There are no other alternatives or compromises compared to this now necessary user experience.
These portals allow employees to upload tuition receipts, receive direct reimbursement or in the form of credit to spend, view the status of available benefits, including integration with public bonuses and assistance in requesting the INPS bonus.
The Nursery Bonus, integrated with Corporate Welfare, therefore represents a winning formula for both parents and employers.
A perfect synergy between public and private welfare that, in 2025, takes on an even more central role, in light of the new support measures and the growing attention to the well-being of workers with children.
Read also the article on Welfare and school expenses .