The Committee was informed that a significant component of the budget of the Ministry goes towards the benefits for families with children. The three main benefits are child benefit, maternity/paternity benefit and cash benefit to the parents of young children. The Ministry implements several programmes that relate to the following areas - adoption, child welfare, children and youth, consumer affairs, ethnic discrimination, family finances, homosexuality, marriage and cohabitation, parents and children, persons with disabilities, as well as violence and abuse in close relationships