Family support starts with child benefit. The family fund of the Federal Employment Agency currently transfers 259 euros per child per month - from birth to 18 years of age. If the offspring is then in training, taking their first course or looking for a training place, the entitlement is extended. And it doesn't necessarily end when the child has completed their first training or bachelor's degree. If you then complete a master's degree or further qualification, the family funds will continue to pay until your 25th birthday. The request must be made in writing.
Things get more complicated when it comes to parental allowance. It is intended to cushion the loss of income of the parent who stays with the child after the birth. As a rule, employees receive 65 percent of their average net income for the last twelve months before the birth as basic parental allowance. There is a minimum of 300 euros and a maximum of 1,800 euros. This benefit can be flexibly divided between both parents in the first 14 months of the child's life, with one parent taking at least two months and a maximum of twelve months.
If an older child under the age of three lives in the household, the parental allowance fund automatically adds a sibling bonus of ten percent on top. If you plan the age gap of your children in advance and divide the parental allowance - for example as Parental Allowance Plus - over several years, you will secure the extra bonus for the entire duration of the monthly payments. For example, if the second child is born when the first is one year old and you opt for Parental Allowance Plus for two years, the older child will remain under three years of age throughout the entire period. The ten percent surcharge is not just for one year, but for the full 24 months of parental allowance payments.
Parents who want to quickly return to work part-time after the birth or extend the benefit period choose Parental Allowance Plus. One month of basic parental allowance becomes two months of parental allowance plus. Anyone who does not work at all during this time will receive exactly half of the basic parental allowance per month - so the total amount remains absolutely identical over the term. If both parents work part-time for two to four months at the same time - between 24 and 32 hours a week - the state grants between two and four additional months of Parental Allowance Plus via the so-called partnership bonus. The highlight: The weekly hours apply as a monthly average, and the bonus can be flexibly adjusted or shortened without losing any money you have already received.
While the twelve months before the birth are used as the basis for parental allowance for employees, the calendar year applies for self-employed people. However, even smaller amounts of additional income make exceptions possible, such as postponing the assessment period. This can significantly increase parental allowance.
Inflation hits families with lower incomes particularly hard. The child allowance applies here. It is aimed at parents who earn money themselves but only have a low income. The prerequisite is a minimum monthly gross income of 900 euros for couples and 600 euros for single parents - because the citizen's benefit applies below this. Depending on income and assets, the family fund pays out up to 292 euros per child per month.
The child allowance leads to further relief. Anyone who is entitled to a child allowance of just one euro will also be completely exempt from daycare fees upon application and will have full access to the services for education and participation (BuT). For example, this covers costs for school trips, school trips or lunch at daycare and school. It is sufficient to submit the receipts or evidence to the responsible authority - i.e. the local housing benefit authority, the social welfare office or the job center.
Single parents to whom the other parent pays no maintenance or only pays them irregularly also receive state support. You can apply for a maintenance advance at the maintenance advance fund at the responsible youth welfare office. The amount depends on the age of the child and is between 230 and 394 euros per month. What many people don't know is that the claim exists even if the father is not officially known. However, in this case the mother must demonstrate that she did everything reasonable to locate the father. If you don't do this, the payment can be refused.
Many families with low to middle incomes are entitled to Housing Benefit Plus - although they often don't know it. The amount depends on the number of household members, the gross rent and the total income. A family of four with a gross income of 3,800 euros and a rent of 1,100 euros per month can be entitled to around 150 to 300 euros in housing benefit, depending on where they live. And here too, just a single euro of housing benefit is enough to unlock full entitlement to the education and participation package.
The benefit is applied for at the housing benefit authority of the local city, municipality or district administration. Depending on the region, this is housed at the citizens' office or the housing office. In addition to the form, which can usually be found online via the state service portals, proof of income for all household members, the rental agreement and proof of rent payment are required for the application. Housing benefit is never paid retroactively, but rather from the month in which the application is received. If any documents are still missing, the form should still be submitted to secure the claim.
However, if you want to buy or build your own home, you can take a look at the KfW funding programs. There are low-interest loans (KfW 300) for climate-friendly new buildings, energy-efficient renovations or the renovation of existing properties (KfW 308) for families with small to medium incomes.
Mental health is also eligible. Mother/father-child treatments are a compulsory health insurance benefit and can be applied for every four years if medically necessary. Such reasons can include persistent exhaustion, sleep problems, chronic overload caused by balancing work and family, the psychological reaction to a separation or even complaints such as back pain or headaches.
That's why there are cures that specialize in behavioral therapy or educational advice, for example, as well as climate cures on the North and Baltic Seas if the child has respiratory or skin diseases, or cures specifically for single parents.
The family doctor or pediatrician must issue a medical certificate, which is submitted to the health insurance company together with the application. The application is often rejected the first time, which is why it is worth appealing. After approval, you select a suitable clinic for the treatment together with your health insurance company.
Parents only pay a personal contribution of ten euros per calendar day. If you cannot pay the statutory contribution for a treatment, you can apply for support from the German Mothers' Health Association.
In addition, non-profit family vacation centers offer sponsored family recreation. Depending on the federal state, there are subsidies for low-income, large children or single-parent families, which can be applied for through welfare associations, youth welfare offices or state authorities.
Families are also relieved of the burden by submitting their annual income tax returns. 80 percent of care costs for daycare centers, crèches, childminders, after-school care, lunchtime care and babysitters can be claimed as special expenses up to a maximum amount of 4,800 euros per child per year. Requirement: The child must live in their own household and must not have reached the age of 14. In order for the tax office to recognize the costs, there must be an invoice or a contract and the money must have flowed via bank transfer or standing order. Only the pure care costs are deductible. Meal money, play money or travel costs must be deducted. Good to know: Even if relatives look after the child, this can be stated in the tax return. The requirements are the same.
Single parents also benefit from a relief allowance. If at least one child entitled to child benefit belongs to the household and no other adult person lives there, the tax office grants an allowance of 4,260 euros and a further 240 euros for each additional child. This allowance can be entered via income tax class II and thus immediately increases the monthly net income. What many people don't know is that the allowance applies not only to the residence model, but also to the 50/50 change model. However, it is only awarded once. This means that the parents have to agree on who gets it. In case of doubt, the tax office awards the allowance to the person to whom the child benefit is paid.
Anyone who employs craftsmen or cleaners on account and pays by bank transfer or standing order can deduct 20 percent of the work costs directly from the tax payable. For household-related services such as cleaning, this is a maximum of 4,000 euros per year, and for craftsman services a maximum of 1,200 euros per year.
Children up to 14 years of age travel free of charge on Deutsche Bahn long-distance services when accompanied by an adult. If you are under the age of six you do not need a ticket; if you are between six and 14 years old you must be registered on the ticket of a person who is at least 15 years old. If children between the ages of six and 14 travel alone, they get a 50 percent discount on their ticket. Children also get a surprise in the on-board bistro with the children's game ticket, which is handed out by the staff at ticket check. And for teenagers and young adults between 15 and 27 years of age, the railway offers the “Super Sparpreis Young”.
There are also many discounts for leisure activities. Babies and toddlers usually get free entry to zoos and swimming pools, while in state museums this often applies up to the age of 18. In some places, the latter also offer free creative activities or special programs and tours for children. Information about this can be found on the respective websites of the cities, municipalities and museums. What's also easier on families' wallets: many amusement parks, indoor playgrounds and fun pools offer free entry to children on their birthdays. As a rule, all you need is a document showing your date of birth.
Almost every large city and many rural districts offer a family pass for a small fee (or free if you have a low income) - regardless of income. This ensures free or heavily discounted entry to swimming pools, zoos, museums and theaters for twelve months, as well as reduced course fees for sports or music schools.
The Munich family pass for six euros offers, among other things, two free admissions to the city's outdoor and indoor swimming pools for children up to 14 years of age. The Berlin Family Pass also costs six euros, for which parents and children receive reduced admission to many museums or the zoo. The Family PlusPoint card is even free for Cologne families from the city area. This means, for example, discounts in cafés and restaurants, but also in retail and services. The passes and cards can usually be purchased or ordered from local authorities, but are sometimes also available in retail stores.
Neighborhood associations, church communities or social associations have children's clothing stores and toy exchanges in many neighborhoods. They offer a cheap and sustainable alternative to commercial second-hand shops. The goods come from donations, the teams work on a voluntary basis, and those who provide proof of social benefits often receive discounts or vouchers. There is no nationwide search portal for such offers. But the large charitable organizations such as the German Red Cross, Caritas and Diakonie have postcode searches for such shops on their websites. In addition, many cities and municipalities have their own overviews of the offers online.
Family centers can play a central role in everyday family life. They organize play and crawling groups for a small fee, offer specialist lectures on topics such as baby sleep or first aid and often have free exchange cupboards and toy exchanges. They also offer low-threshold social advice. Social workers there help you fill out complicated applications for parental allowance, housing benefit and child allowance free of charge.
Church communities and local youth facilities are supported on a non-profit basis and can therefore also offer families with a low budget. However, they are open to children of all families and regardless of religious affiliation. What is offered there depends heavily on the facility and can range from inexpensive holiday camps to free choirs, music, dance and sports groups to homework help. For paid offers, a confidential conversation with the management is often enough to receive a subsidy.
If you want to know what your city or community has in store for families, you often don't know where to start looking. Whether a service is called a “family pass”, “family card”, “citizen pass” or simply “discount card” differs from municipality to municipality.
The quickest way is to search digitally on the portals of city administrations and municipalities. Search there for search terms such as “family pass”, “family center”, “family office” or “family café”. The best discounts are often hidden on the youth or social welfare office's subpages.
It can also be worth going to the local family office - usually connected to the town hall or youth welfare office. The employees know the regional programs in detail.
If you are looking for a quick overview of your own requirements in advance, it is best to use the family benefits info tool from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs. After entering your place of residence, family size and income, you will receive an overview of which applications are really financially worthwhile for you.
