news

Generation "Compatibility"

In recent years, various studies have been conducted on the topic of work-life balance. All of them came to the same conclusion: employees want family and work-life balance benefits. It is no longer the financial benefits that are decisive for the attractiveness of an employer, but its family awareness. The full article on this topic can be found here

Parental allowance can lead to more equality

Parental allowance has the potential to lead to more equality. This is because it takes effect at a time that is central to the distribution of roles in the family: the birth of the first child. In Germany, the majority of mothers still stay at home with their babies, while fathers continue to work. These roles become entrenched over time. Mothers work part-time far more often than fathers, they are less likely to have a career, they often earn less money, and to date they have not been paid even half as much in pensions as men. With the parental allowance introduced 15 years ago and the two partner months, politics shook up the traditional family model for the first time. Suddenly, it was desirable for women to return to work after twelve months of parental leave and for fathers to care for their child as well. The full article on the subject can be found here

Study and Recommendation for Action: Protecting Parents and Family Caregivers from Discrimination

This PDF from the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency summarizes the results of two studies. The studies deal with topics such as parental leave, discrimination experiences of caring, working relatives, as well as the legal situation. In addition to mere figures, recommendations for action can also be found here.

New DGB study: Experiences with maternity protection at the workplace

70 years ago, the German Bundestag passed the Maternity Protection Act. Of the 410 members of parliament at the time, about 30 were female. Since then, a lot has changed in the Bundestag and little in the way of protection. The law regulates the working relationship between employer and employee during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are to be protected from workplace hazards and excessive demands. The new Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) came into force on January 1, 2018, stating that employers must arrange the workplace of pregnant or breastfeeding women in such a way that pregnancy, the desire to breastfeed and professional activity are not mutually exclusive from the outset. A recent study by the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) now shows that violations of these very regulations are not uncommon. The study can be found here.

Hearing in the Bundestag on the relief of single parents

In June, a motion was debated that aims to provide more relief for single parents in view of the current inflation. The Deutschen Juristinnenbund e.V.  expressly supports the aim of the application in its statement, because single parents are particularly often affected by poverty and thus also by the effects of inflation. However, given the income realities of single parents, the proposed increase in the tax relief amount from the current EUR 4,008 to EUR 5,000 is not very effective or sufficient. "The right way would be to introduce a tax credit, as already provided for in the coalition agreement," demands the President of the djb, Professor Dr. Maria Wersig. The complete press release can be found here.

Education and Participation Package

Since 2011, the state education and participation package (BuT) has been intended to ensure that children from low-income families receive more support. It is intended to support the financing of sports courses, music lessons or private tuition. However, the application is bureaucratically complex, which means that only about 11 to 15 percent of those entitled use the services according to the Nachhilfeanbieter Studienkreis. Some families are not even aware that such benefits exist. For this reason, the "Studienkreis: Die Nachhilfe" has put together a fact sheet with numbers, facts and studies.

Federal Minister for Family Affairs wants family care allowance

Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus is in favor of introducing a family care allowance. Paus explained that those who reduce their working hours for care should receive a wage replacement benefit and thus be financially secure. Just as young parents receive parental allowance, caring relatives must also be entitled to family care allowance. The minister spoke on the occasion of the publication of new data from the Deutschen Alterssurvey. Accordingly, the use of caregiving and employed relatives has increased significantly during the corona pandemic. Women in particular supported and cared for their relatives, neighbors or friends with significantly more time, as the study shows.

Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung: Fair, Social and Crisis-Proof - Reform Proposals for Parental Benefits

The concept of parenthood has changed in recent years. In particular, the introduction of parental allowance in 2007 has triggered a political and social change. However, the available analyses show that, despite all the achievements, an egalitarian division of labor and equal use of parental allowance are still far from being achieved in 2022. The study also shows how strongly existing social structures are interwoven. This analysis shows that, despite all the achievements, we are still a long way from an egalitarian division of labor and equal use of parental benefits in 2022. The complete study can be found here.

AGF on the EU Directive on Reconciliation for Parents and Family Caregivers

In 2019, the European directive on work-life balance for parents and family caregivers, the so-called "EU Compatibility Package", was adopted. The deadline for national implementation is August 2, 2022. In the draft bill of the "Compatibility Directive Implementation Act" - VRUG, which was recently published, minor changes to existing relevant laws are planned for national implementation in Germany. However, the government missed the opportunity to make important and more far-reaching changes. Family organizations therefore call on the federal government to take more substantial action to address the reconciliation issues affecting families with children/youth and dependents in need of care. The full statement of the AGF can be found here.

"Hidden heroes"

Current figures show that child poverty is not a marginal phenomenon in society. In Baden-Württemberg, almost every 5th child is at risk of poverty. This has a negative impact on children's development and growing up. The animated film "Hidden Heroes" wants to draw attention to this problem. It follows three children from different backgrounds, family and living conditions and deals with their everyday problems: No homework done, no money for a sports club, no friends. To cope with reality, they make up the wildest stories about it: In their heads they are superheroes* and have various superpowers that no one can see. But they also experience reality: their living situation is precarious, their parents are poor and their superpowers are wishful thinking. The children escape from their problems into their own stories. The full film can be found here.

Two new publications of Familien Forschung Baden-Württemberg

In 2022, Familien Forschung Baden-Württemberg celebrated its 40th anniversary. FaFo's anniversary provided the occasion for the following conversation between Rosemarie Daumüller and Dr. Bernd Eggen about key findings from FaFo's basic research. In their contribution "Heterogeneity of Family", Dr. Stephanie Saleth and Dr. Bernd Eggen describe what they understand by heterogeneity of family. They highlight three historical developments, throw light on the empirical diversity of parenthood and family, and briefly negotiate how to deal with the heterogeneity of family especially in the educational system. In another FaFo publication, "What is Family Today? How is Family Possible Today?", Rosemarie Daumüller, Executive Director of the Baden-Württemberg State Family Council, and Dr. Bernd Eggen talk about key findings from FaFo's basic research. The article "What is family today, how is family possible?" can be found here.

Child Benefit and Co.: An Overview of Family Policy Benefits

Policymakers have taken a number of measures to support families and reduce the risk of poverty among children - sometimes with uncertain benefits. At last count, the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs counted around 150 family-related benefits; the best-known benefits include, for example, child benefit, child supplement, child bonus, child allowances, parental allowance and the education and participation package. Further information on the benefits can be found here.

Funding guideline "ElternChanceN - mit Elternbegleitung Familien strengthen families" published

The BMFSFJ published the funding guideline for the ESF Plus program "ElternChanceN - mit Elternbegleitung Familien stärken" on April 27, 2022. The program provides targeted support for families who need help in raising and educating their children. The focus is on expanding network structures for families in special circumstances, such as families with refugee experience.

Further information can be found here.

Energy relief package

Due to rising energy costs, the traffic lights have agreed on a relief package. This includes, among other things, a family allowance of 100 euros, which is to be paid out with the child benefit, an energy price flat rate of 300 euros for employed and self-employed persons, and a doubling of the one-time payment of 100 euros to recipients of social benefits. The VAMV took a stand on this package: "We welcome the fact that the traffic light government wants to cushion hardships in the face of rising energy prices. These are for families with small incomes and thus for many single parents a genuine problem. However, since energy prices are foreseeably going to be permanently high, we would have liked to see longer-term answers. With the family subsidy it is open whether again the identical prescription as with the child bonus is to be used , so Daniela Jaspers, Federal leader of the federation of however-educating mothers and fathers registered association (VAMV). The complete statement can be found here

Broad alliance warns against lowering protection standards for children and young people in digital media

A broad alliance of 32 organizations and associations warns against a lowering of protection standards for children and young people in digital media by the planned EU law on digital services. In an open letter to German Federal Minister of Digital Affairs Volker Wissing and Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck, the organizations call for far-reaching changes to the planned law in the trilogue negotiations currently taking place between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council. This is because the version of the law currently being negotiated poses the risk that the German Youth Protection Act, which was modernized and amended last year, may be called into question in essential core elements of the digital protection of children and young people. The full open letter can be found here.

Society Report on the Impact of the Corona Pandemic on Employment and Role Distribution in Families

The current issue of the report series Gesellschaftsreport BW shows how the Corona pandemic affected the employment of parents and to what extent mothers and fathers were affected differently. It also addresses the question of how the special circumstances and, in particular, the closure of educational institutions affected the distribution of roles between the sexes and what consequences the pandemic had on parents' sense of stress. The full report can be found here. More information can be found here

"New Opportunities for Children in Germany" action plan

At the beginning of May, Federal Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus launched the National Action Plan "New Opportunities for Children in Germany" together with the EU Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit. "One in five children in Germany is at risk of or affected by poverty. This is a disgrace for a country as rich as Germany, and we must not resign ourselves to it," said Paus. She wants to support affected families not only with the action plan, but also by introducing the basic child allowance, a 14-day partnership leave after birth and quality standards in daycare, improvements in parental allowance and a new ESF Plus program to support parents. Further information can be found here.

"If you want to invest in the future, you have to invest in our children".

On 28.04.2022, Hubertus Heil, Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, gave a speech in the plenary session of the Bundestag on the child supplement. In this speech, he emphasized the importance of investing in the future, i.e. in our children, and would like to implement the basic child allowance before the end of this legislative period. This basic security is intended to create more social security and opportunities for participation. Further information on the speech can be found here.

Family support - but now! Landesfamilienrat and Liga der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege in Baden-Württemberg on International Family Day on May 15.

In a press release, the welfare associations in Baden-Württemberg, together with the State Family Council, call for a coordinated, resilient and adequately funded network of services and support options for families. Such a family support strategy also serves to prevent poverty. "Baden-Württemberg already has a lot to offer here," says the chairwoman of the State Family Council, Professor Christel Althaus, "but there is still a lack of systematization and commitment. Despite its great importance, family support is usually regarded only as a voluntary service of the municipality. However, family support as an overall strategy should be a common concern of the state and the municipalities." The full press release can be found here

Compatibility Innovation Award

During the daycare and school closures in the Corona pandemic, companies and their employees faced enormous challenges. However, it was precisely during this time that many new company solutions for reconciling family and work emerged. The German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs would like to honor these concepts with the "Compatibility Innovation Award". Prizes will be awarded to entrepreneurial concepts that have been developed in the last two years (during the Corona pandemic) and stand out for their fit and effectiveness. Further information can be found here

New Culture Channel: Guidance for companies for a family-conscious corporate culture.

With the new Culture Channel, the corporate program provides employers and their employees with impetus and assistance in translating the experiences of the past two years into sustainable compatibility strategies. After all, one challenge here is to flexibly shape the transition to the "new normal." The experiences gained during the Corona crisis can serve as a basis for embarking on the path to a family-conscious corporate culture together with employees. Further information can be found here

Children's sick days extended in 2022

Once again, children's sick days have been extended for limited care options. Those caring for their children at home due to the pandemic are entitled to additional children's sick days or compensation under the Infection Protection Act again this year under certain conditions. This provision has been extended through Sept. 23, 2022. Further information can be found here.

Special evaluation of the DGB "Good Work" Index

Results of the special evaluation show that even in the home office, women take on far more of the daily care work than men and feel more burdened as a result. In addition, women are usually less well equipped and have to contend with lower incomes. Despite all this, the DGB is in favor of working from home. Company rules and agreements are particularly important here.

The complete index can be found here.

Column: A right to rest - parents reach their stress limits

In this column, Teresa Bücker discusses the consequences of the pandemic, especially on parents' mental health. In particular, women have taken sick days and/or reduced their working hours significantly more often. Mothers of younger children, single parents and people with low incomes report increasing mental stress.

The full column can be read here.

Learning from the Crisis: Towards Resilient Health Promotion

The focus of the 19th annual meeting of the Cooperation Network for Equal Health Opportunities was how future health promotion in a crisis can be shaped by integrating resilience research. The central discussion points of the digital panel as well as further contents of the cooperation meeting can be read in this article.

Alliance Dialog 2021 - Being Parents Today

Under the motto "Being Parents Today - Local Alliances for the Family as Partners for a Successful Reconciliation", the Alliance Dialog 2021 took place as a virtual event. On the one hand, Miriam Beblo, Professor of Economics at the Department of Social Economics at the University of Hamburg, gave a keynote speech. In the lecture on the topic of "Municipal and family policy framework conditions for a successful partnership compatibility" and in the subsequent discussion with Thomas Metker, one of the topics was the still unequal distribution of gainful employment and care work. This was followed by a dialog on "Changing the role of municipalities through Corona" with Sofie Geisel from DIHK Service GmbH.

The recording of the event can be found here, the most important results can be read here. A film summary of the event with the key messages can be found here.

Results of the alliance survey

"Into the future, ready, go!" - This was the motto of a nationwide survey of local alliances for the family that took place last fall. The participating local alliances were asked about current challenges and needs: What do families need from the local perspective? What is going well or not so well? Where is there a need for support? What developments are emerging for future work? And what are the wishes for the future?

Further information and the results of the survey can be found here.

Interministerial working group on basic child support set up

The German government is setting up an Interministerial Working Group on Basic Child Security (IMA). It is planned that the IMA will develop a concept for a basic child allowance in 5 thematic working groups by the end of 2023. The federal government is thus launching the realignment of family support.

The press release of the BMFSFJ can be found here.

What do children, adolescents and families need after Corona - consequences for child and youth welfare services?

The Working Group of the Supreme State Youth and Family Authorities and the Federal Working Group of the State Youth Welfare Offices held a joint expert hearing on the situation of children and adolescents during the Corona pandemic. This position paper, "What do children, youth and families need after Corona? Consequences for Child and Youth Welfare" summarizes essential assessments and describes what young people need in the medium and long term after the pandemic. The position paper can be found here.

Establishment of the Children's Commission resolved

The Committee for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has resolved to establish the Children's Commission. All members voted unanimously for the renewed establishment of a commission to represent the interests of children in the German Bundestag. All parliamentary groups thus supported the concern to "continue the successful work of the Children's Commission in the 20th legislative period," as stated in the cross-faction committee motion.

The latest information from the Committee for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and on the Children's Commission can be found on the website of the German Bundestag.

How to talk to children about the terrible news from Ukraine?

Shocking images of the war in Ukraine are shown in all media. Children and young people see such scenes and usually find it difficult to categorize such images. Now it is important that parents and educators in schools and youth work talk to them and take their fears seriously. With younger children, it is more important not to expose them to gruesome images of war and to answer their questions. Older children from the age of about 12 or 13 can be introduced to politics in a factual way and you can talk to them sensitively about the causes of war, for example, but above all about the suffering of the victims. Also important is the use of age-appropriate news formats (e.g. Logo, Zdf) that present the events in Ukraine professionally for children. More information can be found here.

In the professional information "Working with Children and Adolescents in the Context of the War in Ukraine" of the Paritätischer Gesamtverband, references to factual and age-appropriate information were compiled in order to offer support to professionals in child and youth work, families and adult caregivers in their work.

Corona and Care - on the Distribution of Gainful Employment and Care Work in Families

Since the beginning of the Corona pandemic, the following questions have arisen: What effects does the Corona crisis have on the distribution of gainful employment and care work in Germany? Can we expect a return to old role patterns between the sexes in families?

In the meantime, numerous studies show a differentiated picture with regard to the distribution of roles. The information platform of the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) provides an overview of the studies and their results. The page can be found here.

20 percent of mothers reduce working hours to care for children

About one-fifth of working mothers reduced their hours in January, probably primarily to care for children. By comparison, only six percent of employed fathers cut back at work. This is according to the Hans Böckler Foundation's regular survey of the working population. According to the survey, the gender gap in child care has widened over the course of the pandemic. The figures suggest that traditional role models and work distributions of women and men linked to them have been reinforced again.

The full article can be found here.

Reduction and Sharing of Unpaid Care Work Increase Women's Labor Force Participation

The DIW Wochenbericht examines the role of the amount of unpaid care work performed within a household and its distribution within couples for the labor force participation of both partners. Based on panel data and econometric models, we identify the impact of unpaid housework and care work on labor market participation and the hours worked by men and women. Key findings: More egalitarian distribution of care work in couple households increases women's labor force participation more than it decreases men's. Housework limits labor force participation more than caregiving tasks. Expansion of all-day care, reform of parental benefits and subsidization of household-related services recommended.

The complete report can be found here.

Statistics: Two out of three mothers work part-time, but only one in 14 men

According to the Federal Statistical Office, two out of three working mothers (65.5 percent) worked part-time in 2020, but only one in 14 fathers (7.1 percent). The rates of working part-time have changed little since 2010, according to the statisticians. According to the Federal Office, the part-time rate of mothers of younger children in Germany is particularly high compared to other EU member states: 69.3 percent of employed women with at least one child under the age of 12 worked part-time in 2020, compared to an EU average of 33.9 percent. This puts Germany in second place behind the Netherlands. According to the Federal Office, during the Corona pandemic, reconciling work and childcare was not the only challenge for many women. They also had an above-average burden because of their professions, for example because of the increased risk of infection.

Further information can be found here.

Federal Cabinet approves children's immediate supplement and one-off payment

On March 16, the federal cabinet approved the draft of an immediate supplement and one-time payment law submitted jointly by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

"With the immediate supplement, we are taking a first important step toward a paradigm shift in the fight against child poverty," said Federal Minister Anne Spiegel. The immediate child supplement will be paid out from July 1 until the new basic child allowance starts.

Further information can be found here or in the statement of Diakonie Deutschland.

Press release: Fair distribution of care work must become a declared political goal

Against the backdrop of Equal Care Day, Equal Pay Day and International Women's Day, the Care Work Fair Sharing Alliance publishes its assessment of the coalition agreement. Despite welcome plans of the coalition, the civil society alliance sees deficits and demands more comprehensive measures from the federal government to close the care gap.
The key to a gender-equal future lies in the fair distribution of care, domestic and gainful employment work between the sexes. "We welcome the coalition's ambition to achieve gender equality in this decade. However, this can only succeed if closing the care gap becomes a central political goal."

Two thirds of minijober*innen are women. The increase in income limits planned by the coalition will lead to an expansion of these precarious employment relationships, which blatantly runs counter to the goal of securing women's independent livelihoods in both the short and long term. The alliance also sees a need for improvement in tax law. It is necessary to introduce individual taxation with a transferable basic allowance in order to promote the livelihood-securing employment of women in a marriage.

The detailed assessment and the demands of the Alliance members can be found here.

Federal Government Commissioner for Long-Term Care Calls for Blanket Bans on Visits to Nursing Facilities to be Abolished

In view of the continuing blanket bans on visits, some of which last for weeks, the federal government's authorized representative for nursing care is calling for them to be lifted. One of the first lessons to be learned from the pandemic is that the isolation of nursing home residents has had serious consequences, some of which are irreparable. 

The full press release can be read here

eaf reiterates call for family summit in the Bundeskanzleramt

Mothers of children under the age of 15 in particular showed a significant loss of trust in politics and state institutions over the course of 2020. This emerges from a recent study by the University of Bremen. "This individualization of responsibility has already led to a significant loss of trust in politics at the end of the first pandemic year. Urgent countermeasures should be taken here: We need finally the long demanded family summit in the Federal Chancellery, on which the needs and also the achievements of the families are seen by high-ranking political decision makers and discussed with them", so eaf president Dr. Martin Bujard.

Further information can be found here.

Broad alliance calls for ambitious overall strategy to combat child poverty

Together with numerous other organizations, the Working Group of German Family Organizations is calling on the German government to launch an overall strategy to combat child poverty in Germany when it draws up the National Action Plan on the EU Child Guarantee. In a key points paper, the 17 organizations call for a cross-departmental approach in that, in addition to the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, other federal ministries as well as the states and municipalities must be involved, with the involvement of public and independent child and youth welfare services, civil society and academia.

Further information can be found here

According to survey: Fewer and fewer think Germany is child-friendly

According to the published survey by the German Children's Fund, less than half of those surveyed said Germany was a child-friendly country. This was eight percentage points less than four years ago and ten percentage points less than seven years ago. The results of the survey can be read here

Survey: Diary study of everyday family life after separation: What helps parents and children?

Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Sabine Walper, the joint project STARK is developing a website for parenting couples in crisis, for fathers and mothers during and after separation, as well as for children and adolescents from separating families or families in conflict. Within a sub-project at the LMU Munich ("Separating Fairly and Continuing to Raise Together"), a study on everyday life in separating families is currently being conducted. For the survey, separated parents are asked about their well-being and their daily challenges and coping strategies. The link to the survey can be found here.

Position paper: What do children, youth and families need after Corona?

In the Covid-19 pandemic, the living situation of the entire population changed fundamentally. For families in particular, important everyday structures and routines often hardly existed anymore. Normal and self-evident things had to be rethought and decided upon in a very short time. The Working Group of the Supreme State Youth and Family Authorities and the Federal Working Group of the State Youth Welfare Offices held a joint expert hearing on the situation of children and adolescents during the Corona pandemic and published the present position paper "What do children, adolescents and families need after Corona? Consequences for child and youth welfare" was formulated. 

More information can be found here

Diakonie: Implement immediate supplement for children unbureaucratically and at a realistic level

Diakonie Deutschland is calling for rapid implementation of the immediate supplement for poor families and their children announced by the German government. From the point of view of the Diakonie, however, this supplement must be sufficiently high, according to a press release.

The press release of the Diakonie can be found here.

"Family needs a home. Create affordable and sufficient housing for family!"

Affordable, family-friendly housing and a suitable living environment are fundamental to good family life. Against this backdrop, ZFF formulates political demands and recommendations for action to shape a family-friendly housing policy in a position paper.

The complete position paper can be found here.

From the challenge to coping - a resource-oriented view of family in digitality

In her article "From challenge to coping - a resource-oriented view of family in digitality," Prof. Dr. Katrin Schlör examines what digitization means, especially for families in stressful life situations, and what potential arises for and through their participation. The author states that life situation-sensitive support, qualified professionals, and a decisive approach to educational disadvantage are needed so that children and families can take advantage of the child rights potential of digitization and digital media.

The full article can be found here.

Overview of social and family policy changes in 2022

The Service Center for Family-Friendly Studies (SFS) has compiled an overview of the most important social and family policy changes for 2022. This overview can be found here.

Equal Care Day

On 01.03.22 the "Equal Care Day" takes place. On this day, the Equal Care initiative is hosting a hybrid city conference with four cities participating. 

  • When: Tuesday, 01 March 2022, 09:00-18:00
  • Where: online

Further information can be found on the homepage.

Online conversation: "Single parents and housing: Together out of the rental misery"

Many hurdles now exist in the search for housing, especially for single parents. Be it rising rents, barely affordable housing, cramped living conditions, high rent burden rates, experiences of discrimination when looking for housing or family-hostile housing infrastructures. This digital expert discussion will venture a look into the future and use best practices to show what fair and preventive housing market policy can look like.

  • When: Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022 , 13:00 - 16:30
  • Where: online

Click here to register.

BMFSFJ: Federal Family Minister plans new benefits for parents

Anne Spiegel has announced that there will be paid leave for parents immediately after the birth of a child. This will allow one parent to stay with the family on full pay for the first two weeks after the birth. Spiegel also wants to allow more parental benefit months for couples who split parental leave.

The full article can be found here.

VAMV: Coalition agreement - good basis for improvements for single parents

In an evaluation of the coalition agreement, the VAMV has classified plans der Ampelkoalition for single parents and made first suggestions for the design. With a basic child allowance and a tax credit for single parents, the coalition plans improvements for single parents. The detailed press release can be found here.

Family-related part-time work or leave of absence

The BMFSFJ worded a question letter to the Bundesministerium des Innern und für Heimat. The question asked regarded the limits for civil servants to take up part-time work as part of a family-related leave of absence and what requirements must be met.

A summary of the question- and answer letter with important links can be found here.

Extension of special rules on children's sick pay

In 2022, parents with statutory health insurance can claim children's sick pay for each child with statutory health insurance for 30 instead of 20 working days, and single parents for 60 instead of 40 working days. If there are several children, each parent is entitled to no more than 65 working days, and single parents to no more than 130 working days.
Since 2021, entitlement has also existed if childcare facilities, schools or facilities for people with disabilities are temporarily closed by the competent authority to prevent the spread of infections or communicable diseases on the basis of the Infection Protection Act, or their entry is prohibited, including on the basis of segregation, or if school or company vacations are ordered or extended by the competent authority for reasons of infection protection, or compulsory attendance at a school is lifted, or access to childcare is restricted, or the child does not attend the facility as recommended by the authorities.
Parents who could work in a home office are also eligible. Parents in marginal employment (so-called mini-job) are usually not covered by the statutory health insurance with entitlement to sick pay, so they cannot receive the children's sick pay.

Continuation of the compensation scheme for working parents under Section 56 IfSG

The compensation entitlement for childcare necessitated by the pandemic (e.g., due to closed childcare facilities/schools or segregation of children) continues until the end of March 19, 2022. In these cases, parents and single parents of children up to the age of 12 or disabled children receive compensation of 67 percent of the loss of earnings incurred for a maximum of ten weeks per working parent or 20 weeks for single parents. Low-income employees can also receive compensation. For employees, payment is made by the employer, who can submit an application for reimbursement to the relevant state authority.

Increase in child supplement (KiZ) and extension of deadline for simplified access

As of January 1, 2022, the maximum monthly amount of the child supplement will increase to a maximum of 209 euros per child. The simplified assets test for the child supplement will be extended until March 31, 2022. Accordingly, parents do not have to provide information on this if they do not have significant assets. The family benefits office's KiZ pilot can be used to check whether a child is entitled to the child supplement, and the application for the supplement can be submitted online.

Relief amount for single parents

Single parents are given special consideration in income tax with an additional tax allowance. They receive a relief amount for a child if the child lives with them and if they receive child benefit or the allowances for their child. The purpose of the relief amount is to take into account the more expensive household management of single parents in the tax law. The relief amount for single parents, regulated in Section 24b of the German Income Tax Act (EStG), was increased by the Annual Tax Act 2020, from 1,908 euros to 4,008 euros as of 2020. For each additional child, the relief amount increases by 240 euros per child. The increase in the tax relief amount for single parents, which was initially limited to the years 2020 and 2021, will be cancelled, so that the increase will also apply permanently from 2022.

ESF Plus Federal Program "ElternChanceN - mit Elternbegleitung Familien stärken" (Parents' Opportunity - Strengthening Families with Parental Support)

On 10.11.2021 the expression of interest procedure for the ESF Plus federal program "ElternChanceN - mit Elternbegleitung Familien stärken" started. With the federal program ElternChanceN, co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus), the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) plans to strengthen parental support on site from the second quarter of 2022. In the program, building blocks of successful parental cooperation/support in (early) childhood are to be designed locally and implemented with the involvement of social institutions in the region. The aim is to strengthen the integration of parent support in cooperative forms of work in the social space and in the municipal context. Further information can be found on the project website.

Listening tip: "Family-friendly university has a lot to do with communication, regularly".

How can a university sustainably position itself to be family-friendly? What role do a strategically designed compatibility policy and comprehensive communication to all target groups play? Bettina Schweizer, audit project manager at the University of Bremen, answers these and several other questions in the podcast of the audit berufundfamilie. The podcast can be found here.

"Parental leave is a right, not a privilege".

In this report on his experiences, Heiner Fischer tells how he has managed to lead an active fatherhood and live an equal form of partnership and family with his wife despite societal pressure. He also wants to continue to fight against the social stigma of men as sole breadwinners. The whole report can be found here.

"Maternity has no gender" campaign

Motherliness is associated with traditional values that cause women to take on more private and professional care work. The Federal Association of Mothers' Centers wants to change this with its campaign "Motherliness has no gender". The reconciliation of care, household, childcare and work is a task for society as a whole and not a "women's issue". Further information on the campaign can be found here.

Support for families in Germany and comparison with other European countries

What is the situation regarding the promotion of families in Germany and how does the local policy compare with other European countries? The Institute of the German Economy has investigated this in a new study. The summary of the results can be found here.

German Youth Institute Family, Childhood, Youth 2030

The new special issue of the research magazine DJI Impulse takes a look into the future until 2030 and explores the question of what support young people and their families need.

Megatrends such as globalization, demographic change, migration and digitalization, but also crises such as the corona pandemic are having a profound impact on social coexistence. For families, children and young people, these developments are accompanied by opportunities, but also by challenges. Against this backdrop, the newly published special issue of the research magazine DJI Impulse takes a look into the future up to 2030 and explores the question of what support young people and their families need in light of current and already foreseeable social developments.

The complete issue can be found here.

Ifo report: Basic child benefit would ease the burden on families

A basic child benefit as envisaged by the Green party could reduce the risk of poverty for families with children and significantly ease the burden on low to medium incomes. The goal is to improve the situation of families and simplify the receipt of benefits. A basic child benefit is currently being discussed in the coalition negotiations. The proposal includes significant improvements, especially for poorer families with children. The risk-of-poverty rate could fall by about 3 percentage points.

The complete report can be found here.

miniKIM 2020 - Study of media use by young children

The miniKIM 2020 study provides information about the media use of children aged 2 to 5. For the current study, 600 primary educators were surveyed online.

The results of the miniKIM study initially show a high level of digital equipment in the households of the respondents. 100% have an Internet connection, 97% have a cell phone/smartphone and/or TV set, and 90% have a laptop/PC.

An interesting point of the study is that just under two-thirds of respondents stated that they recognize the dangers that the Internet poses for their children and also believe that children should only surf the Internet if an appropriate filtering or protection program is installed. At the same time, however, 44% say they don't know about filtering programs, don't know where to find out about them (28%), or don't want to rely on them completely (27%).

The entire study with all key findings can be found here.

Press release of the Federal Forum Men on International Men's Day

On the occasion of International Men's Day on November 19, the Federal Forum Men - Interest Group for Boys, Men & Fathers e.V. calls on the future federal government to make gender equality policy the focus of its work over the next four years and to take men into account. Equality concerns all genders and progress in equality policy also needs the commitment of boys and men.

The complete press release can be found here.

Thinking ahead about family - "One child - two parents? Diversity of parenthood"

The text from the KEG's educational magazine deals with the topic of how parenthood is thought about and what meaning is attributed to it. It is seen that family reality and parenthood are subject to cultural change, leading to the emergence of new structures of parenthood alongside the biological and social unit of mother, father, child. 

The full text can be found here.

Hohenheim Days of Family Policy

The 8th Hohenheim Days of Family Policy will take place from 31.05. to 01.06.2022. This symposium is entitled "Family in uncertain times" and focuses on the challenges that have arisen for families in the digital age and in view of the Corona pandemic, changes in the labor market, migration movement and cultural change. It will be discussed how the life situation of families has developed against the background of family policy in recent years and where current family policy stands.

Further information can be found on the homepage.

eaf: More support for families

Mothers and fathers of children, especially younger ones, are reaching their limits due to the heavy burden of family, home and gainful employment. However, time policy measures have been left out of the coalition negotiations on this topic. For this reason, the eaf (evangelische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Familie) points out this gap and demands that this aspect be included. Among other things, the eaf demands: Expansion of parental allowance, dynamic parental working hours and paternity leave.

Further information can be found here.

ESF Plus federal program

The federal program "ElternChanceN" is scheduled to start in April 2022. The goal of the program is to strengthen the integration of parental support in cooperative forms of work in the social space and in the municipal context. In order to support families in special circumstances, the program is intended to provide educational services that are tailored to the needs of the family.

In the program, building blocks of successful parental cooperation and support in childhood are to be designed locally and implemented with the involvement of social institutions in the region.

Detailed information can be found on the homepage.

Online Seminar: "Parental Support: Being a Guide and Building Bridges for Families".

Almost 14,000 parent guides are active in various institutions throughout Germany. They support families with questions, strengthen parenting skills, open up educational options and develop new services for families. Parental support is therefore an important building block for anchoring family support in the communities and for effective networking.

  • Where: online
  • When: 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Registration can be found here.

Working aid: Strengthening families with migration and refugee backgrounds

As families change, so does our society - not least due to immigration. In order to promote the integration of families with a migration background, it is therefore essential to strengthen their opportunities for participation. Here you can read about how this can be done successfully on the ground.

Demands on daycare quality to the new federal government

In a position paper, numerous associations and individuals, including AWO, GEW and KTK, call for the inclusion of a federal quality law in the coalition agreement. The alliance calls for a binding and cross-state law in which framework conditions such as a better specialist-child ratio, more time for management tasks and indirect pedagogical work are to be stipulated, as well as permanent funding for these measures. According to the Alliance, the current "Gute-Kita-Gesetz" does not meet these requirements.

In its own position paper, the AGJ calls for "the continuation and safeguarding of monitoring under the financing participation of the federal government in order to place the further process of controlling quality development on a transparent and scientifically sound data basis."

All organizations are of the opinion that meeting the demand for specialists is a necessary prerequisite for quality development.

Field experiment proves effect of help with daycare applications

More than 600 families with children under the age of three took part in the study from Rheinland-Pfalz. The families were randomly assigned information and received a personalised offer of support for their Kita application. The result was that significantly more children from educationally disadvantaged families attend a day care centre when parents are supported in their application. The probability of taking up a day care place increased by 16 percentage points.

The complete study can be found here.

Bundesrat approves adjusted standard rates for social benefits

In October 2021, the Bundesrat agreed to the Federal Government's proposal to adjust the standard rates for unemployment benefit II, social assistance, basic security in old age and in case of reduced earning capacity.

The details and changes to the standard rates can be found here.

Online event: "Who cares? Tasks for politics in the new election period"

The Alliance Sorgearbeit fair teilen is organising an expert discussion on various social problems that have once again been highlighted by the pandemic.

  • Where: online
  • When: 10.11.2021 from 13:00-16:00 

On the one hand, the discussion will focus on care work such as nursing, raising children or housework and how unequally this is distributed between the sexes. On the other hand, what consequences the pandemic had, especially for women. In addition, questions such as "Which measures are necessary to close the gender care gap?" or "What do people with care responsibilities want from politicians?" will be discussed. The flyer for the event can be found here. You can register until 05.11.2021 at kontakt does-not-exist.sorgearbeit-fair-teilen de

Review: Of Failure, Doubt and Change - Critical Reflections on Masculinity

In this anthology, various authors discuss "traditional masculinity" and how it can be deconstructed. The articles are mainly about overcoming patriarchal relations and behaviours. The complete review can be found here.

Cliché-free through primary school

The initiative "Klischeefrei" has published the method set "Klischeefrei durch die Grundschule". The aim is to teach children from a young age that professions are not associated with a particular gender. This set offers materials and books to achieve this learning goal. Further information can be found here.

E-Paper of the Heinrich Böll Foundation: Anti-feminism on its way through the institutions

Attacks against women's, gender and equality politicians are taking place in a different context in the early 2020s than ten years ago. The landscape of actors has changed, as have some of the contents and strategies. The paper "Antifeminism on its way through the institutions" offers equality activists information on this as well as criteria and guiding questions that can be used to better classify and assess antifeminist groups. The e-paper can be found here.

Men's Policy Demands for the Bundestagswahl 2021

At the start of the coalition negotiations, the Federal Men's Forum demands an equality-oriented men's policy as part of a contemporary equality strategy. The complete overview of the demands can be found here.

Implementation of the SGB VIII reform: Protection against violence as a new mandatory task for day care centres

Protection concepts against violence are still not a matter of course in child and youth welfare facilities. For this reason, in the course of the VIII reform, the presentation of concept for the protection against violence as a compulsory task was introduced.
This new regulation stipulates that the provider of the facility must develop a violence protection concept, apply it and review it regularly. This concept should be geared in particular to the purpose, range of tasks, professional profile, size, premises and equipment of the respective facility. This protection concept should be regularly reviewed for its accuracy of fit and effectiveness.
Further details and websites with additional information can be found here.

Childcare

Parents pay an average of around 1310 euros per year for childcare, according to figures for 2017. These were published on the basis of a new special evaluation of the wage and income tax statistics.

The following conclusions could be reached: Childcare strongly depends on the age of the children. According to the statisticians, the costs claimed in each case are highest at crèche age. Likewise, both the proportion of children with childcare costs and the amount of costs claimed increase with the income of the parents.

The full report with details can be found here.

Study: Almost two thirds of parents felt stressed by school closure

The survey was conducted among 6000 parents of primary school children in Nordrhein-Westfalen and focused on the learning and everyday situation in the second phase of the pandemic.

All results and findings of the study can be read here.

Mediation committee reaches agreement on all-day education

On 6 September 2021, representatives of the Bund and Länder agreed on an amendment to the All-Day Support Act. Compromises were made concerning funding. In addition, a regulation was agreed that establishes a demand-independent entitlement to support in a day care facility. This is to apply to every child from the first to the beginning of the fifth grade.

Further information can be found here.

Parents Media Days 2021

Child and youth media literacy is an important issue for our society. Parents and educational professionals are faced with the task of understanding and teaching media literacy. This has been confirmed once again by the pandemic.

For this reason, Landesmedienzentrum and Aktion Jugendschutz are organising a seven-part digital event series with experts, parents and professionals. During these days, topics such as media use in and after the pandemic, the children's media world, "fake news" & conspiracy theories and cyberbullying will be discussed.

The event will take place on Thursdays from 19:00-20:30 starting 21.10.2021.

The programme and registration can be found here.

DGB survey on conditions for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers in their company/office

Until 31 October 2021, those affected can take part in a survey on the website: www.dgb.de/mutterschutz , in which the DGB wants to find out how the Maternity Protection Act is implemented in companies and administrations. Questions such as: "What conditions do pregnant and breastfeeding women find in their workplaces?" or "Are employers prepared to organise work differently, adjust working hours and respond flexibly to the special circumstances of their female employees?

"Democracy & Diversity - All Inclusive?" - Kita podcast launched

This three-part podcast series talks about the major project topic of democracy and diversity. In addition to questions about the democratic participation of children, parents, families, professionals and day care workers. The aspect of dealing with social diversity in child day care in a non-discriminatory and inclusive way is also examined.

The first part of the podcast series can be found here.

Impulse paper: Better allocation of day-care places through algorithms

It is a fact that finding a place in a day-care centre is a challenge for most parents. With the help of software, the allocation process is now to be made easier for parents and daycare staff. Algorithms are to make the allocation process more efficient and fairer by defining a catalogue of allocation criteria in advance and taking into account parental information on the desired day care centre. Of course, the allocation is not to be based exclusively on a computer programme, but it can be assumed that the interaction of daycare centre staff and software will make the process more transparent and verifiable.

The entire article on this topic by the Bertelsmann Foundation can be found here.

Changes in parental allowance

The reform of parental allowance came into force in autumn 2021. This is intended to make parental allowance even more flexible, partnership-based and simple by establishing more part-time options, less bureaucracy and more parental allowance for premature babies. The details of the changes can be found here.

Legal entitlement to all-day care for children of primary school age

From 2026, the legal right to all-day care for children of primary school age will be enshrined in law; this should help to better reconcile family and career.

However, economists from Wuppertal have calculated the costs of this project. The results show that the planned financial support from the federal government will not be sufficient. In addition, some Kommunen are already very well positioned as far as all-day schooling is concerned, but others are not, and they will have to do a lot to meet the legal requirement in the future. For this reason, a project in Frankfurt a.M. is planned to realistically estimate the costs.

The article can be read here.

Open letter: Children's leisure bonus should reach all children from families with low incomes

In an open letter, the VAMV, together with eight other associations, demands an improvement of the eligibility criteria for the children's leisure bonus. At the moment, the bonus does not reach children in SGB 2 needy families. The problem is the offsetting of the benefits received, this is mostly the case for children of single parents, when the age-related standard needs and housing costs are covered by maintenance payments and child benefit. The proposal is for a legal provision so that all children from SGB 2 need groups receive the bonus in an uncomplicated way.

Reconciliation Policy Consequences from the Pandemic

At the Women's Economy Days in Bruchsal, Prof. Dr. Uta Meier-Gräwe will give a lecture entitled "Compatibility Policy Consequences from the Covid 19 Pandemic. Why the economy needs to be rethought and not only women benefit from it."

When. On 14.10.2021 at 10 a.m.

Where? Bruchsal town hall

Registration can be made until 06.10.2021 at gleichstellung∂bruchsal.de.

Family Policy Talks at the Hospitalhof in Stuttgart on 22.09.2021

In this dialogue, almost 70 full-time and voluntary social work professionals exchanged views with political representatives. The focus of the exchange was on the consequences of the Corona pandemic on socialisation, bonds, education and above all on the mental health of children and young people.

First, Dr. Martin Bujard from the Federal Institute for Population Research presented new findings and possible solutions. Dorothea Wagner then explained and clarified the psychotherapeutic side. Next, pupils from a secondary school had their say and described the current situation from their perspective(Statement-Kinderschutzbund_22_09_2021.pdf. Finally, the State Secretary Dr. Ute Leidig MdL presented the further procedure of the state government Zwischenruf-von-Frau-Staatssekretaerin-Dr.-Ute-Leidig-MdL.pdf).

Child poverty to play central role in coalition negotiations

61 associations, trade unions, civil society organisations as well as individuals demand that the federal government effectively combat the problem of child poverty in the next legislative period and anchor concrete steps in the coalition agreement. These include, for example, a fundamental reform of services for children, youths and families, ensuring social infrastructures and supporting children due to the burdens of the Corona pandemic.

The joint declaration is based on four principles, which are explained in the press release. Further information can be found here.

21st informatica feminale Baden-Württemberg (June 14, 2021)

This year's annual summer school for computer science is once again aimed at female students and women in the field of computer science and related disciplines with a diverse range of courses. The informatica feminale brings together female students, scientists and IT women from practice in order to gain new impulses for the study of computer science and to create space for further qualification among women. The upcoming informatica feminale will take place...

  • When? From 27 to 31 July 2021
  • Where? Online

The informatic summer school is a joint project of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts  Baden-Württemberg, the network F.I.T. and the state initiative ,,Frauen in MINT-Berufen in Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Forschung''. Further information about the event and contact persons can be found here.

Online survey: Society of Ideas - Gesellschaft der Ideen (June 14, 2021)

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is looking for new impulses for a common togetherness and the best ideas for social innovations. In the first competition phase, the BMBF has already awarded 30 ideas, which are now starting phase 2. The ideas can still be evaluated until June 21. The jury will take the ratings into account in order to advance to the next round. Among the 30 is the project ,,POPP! Filterblasen spielerisch zum Platzen bringen‘‘ (,,POPP! Bursting Filter Bubbles Playfully‘‘) from ITAS - Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis of KIT. Other exciting ideas are also in the running, such as workplace improvements tailored to the needs of women, intergenerational meetings on the topic of elderly care, or mobbing prevention. Further information on the ideas and the competition can be found here.

What can family policy achieve? (June 14, 2021)

Opinions in the Bundestag differ widely on the importance of family policy in Germany. According to a report in the Tagesschau, Ivonne Magwas, CDU politician and chairwoman of the CDU women's group, sees the Corona crisis as an opportunity to re-discuss the long-standing debate about reconciling family and career and to get long-term solutions off the ground. The SPD and the Grüne criticize the CDU-led Ministry for Families for not being sufficiently aware of the problems faced by families. The Linke has ideas and concepts for which there is no room for joint discussion. The AfD sees no need for action, since it can be assumed that society will regulate compatibility on its own. In an interview with Deutschlandfunk, the publicist Elisabeth Niejahr speaks of an undersupply of family policy. Both the Tagesschau report and that of Deutschlandfunk open up prospects for how the view of family policy concerns could change after the next federal election.

Living Compatibility - What needs do families direct at politics? (June 10, 2021)

The format of the Future Symposium continues in a discussion round. On the occasion of the upcoming federal elections, the Fathers' Network (Väternetzwerk) invites to formulate needs for politics in order to promote partnership and compatibility in modern society.

  • When? June 17 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
  • Where? Online via Zoom  

More information about the event can be found in the latest newsletter of the Fathers' Network. Click here for registration.

Structural change in the world of work (June 10, 2021)

In April, the Future Symposium (Zukunftssymposium) met to debate what changes families would like to see in the face of challenges in the world of work. The Fathers' Network (Väternetzwerk) has summarized the results of the discussion and also makes recommendations for action for companies. Around 1,200 participants took part in regular online surveys over an 8-month period to give their views on the following areas of life: How is child bonding and partnership developing? What are the advantages and disadvantages of working from home? What is the employer's perspective on these questions? The results of the symposium and the surveys can be viewed here

Father, Mother, Child? Family in change (June 7, 2021)

What makes a family? What difficulties does it face today? And how much are we shaped by our family histories? Planet Wissen (SWR) talked about these questions with the historian Rolf-Ulrich Kunze from KIT, among others. The full-length discussion can be found in the Planet Wissen media library.

Parenthood should be protected under labor law (June 7, 2021)

So far, working parents in, during and before their parental leave are not protected by the General Equal Rights Act (AGG) as demanded by employee representatives and legal experts. The #proparents initiative launched a petition on March 31, 2021 to strengthen the AGG in favor of mothers and fathers. A goal of the initiative, in which in addition the magazines Brigitte and Eltern participate, is to take up the discriminating characteristic "parenthood" into the § 1 of the AGG. Thus e.g. the protection against dismissal, the receipt of an equivalent job as well as salary would be ensured. More information about the campaign can be found here. Here you can support the petition.

Overnight accommodation for parents living in separation (June 7, 2021)

Mein Papa kommt/Meine Mama kommt is a nationwide visitation program that encourages parents and children with two homes to be together. After a separation, there can be hundreds of miles between child and parent. To ensure that fathers and mothers are not prevented by long distances from losing the bond with their child, volunteer hosts get involved and offer free overnight stays at the child's home. More information about the offer can be found here

Family-friendly support and offers (June 7, 2021)

Lokale Bündnisse für Familie (Local Alliances for the Family) is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs that promotes the networking of various actors at the local level. With a wide range of offers, the initiative strives for a change in society that promotes the compatibility of family and career instead of making it more difficult. The offers range from support in financial matters and family benefits, help in crisis situations to vacation, childcare and employment offers for children. Offers and dates are continuously updated and can be viewed on the website of the Local Alliances for the Family.

What is this? - Educational work by gender equal opportunity officers (May 31, 2021)

A campaign by the city of Munich is dedicated to the transparency of gender equal opportunity tasks. What do gender equal opportunity commissioners want to achieve? Why are their concerns important? What does the term gender mainstreaming actually mean? In order to dispel misconceptions, Munich's gender equal opportunity commissioners are doing educational work: this video illustrates the necessity and motivation of gender mainstreaming.

Home office rethought (May 31, 2021)

The blog of the corporate network ,,Erfolgsfaktor Familie'' discusses the pros and cons of working from home based on practical examples. While in some professions working in presence is without alternative, in other professions the presence culture is questioned. How satisfied are employees with their current situation? What are managers doing to make working on-site and at home work? Read more about this topic here.

Gender relations in science (May 31, 2021)

The book Kooperation und Konkurrenz im Wissenschaftsbetrieb: Perspektiven aus der Genderforschung und -politik was co-authored by women scientists who are dedicated to gender research. The authors share insights into networking and gender equality work at universities and gender relations in science. Recommended by the Society for Education and Science (GEW).

Perspectives for more gender justice (May 31, 2021)

Last year, sociology professor Jutta Allmendinger and other experts discussed the social consequences of the corona pandemic on talk show host Anne Will. ,,Women will continue to experience a terrible retraditionalization. I don't think it will be so easy to make up for it, and that we will lose three decades,‘‘ Allmendinger said of the emerging rollback in gender relations. In her book Es geht nur gemeinsam! Wie wir endlich Geschlechtergerechtigkeit erreichen Allmendinger confirms her thesis with sociological data. The editorial team of Deutschlandfunk sees the book's potential in depicting social reality and pointing out perspectives that should help to make social relations fairer.

The bukof formulates 18 positions for a gender-equitable higher education policy (May 17, 2021)

The Federal Conference of Women's and Gender Equal Opportunity Officers at Universities (bukof) addresses stakeholders in the German higher education landscape with a position paper for a gender-equitable higher education policy. The demands of bukof represent an orientation framework for students as well as for employees in teaching, technology and administration: The bukof opens up perspectives and reveals the need for change, which, for example, affects the study conditions or staff organization at universities. The full text of the positions can be found on the bukof website.

Childcare – What regulations are applied in which state? (May 11, 2021)

Education policy is regulated by the states. In this case there have been no changes during the Corona crisis. It is hardly surprising that parents lose the track of all the regulations which are valid for childcare. In consequence parents are wondering what regulations are applied in their home state. The german student union (Deutsches Studentenwerk) regularly updates all the general regulations in every single german state. Current (needed) childcare possibilities of each state are listed here.

Campaign ,,Catching up with Corona for children and adolescents'' - The federal government grants 2 billion euros (May 10, 2021)

Two billion euros are being made available nationwide for educational measures. Due to the pandemic, not only educational but also bonding gaps have emerged in recent weeks and months. In view of learning gaps and diminished space for personal development, a carefree return to a normal state as before the pandemic is unthinkable. For this reason, half of the funding is invested in early childhood education, vacation recreation and additional social work. The other half will go toward support measures to reduce learning deficits in the core subjects German, Maths and foreign languages. Further information on the action program can be found on the BMFSFJ website.     

Online Conference "MeToo in Science" - Legal and Preventive Measures against Sexualized Discrimination and Violence in Universities (May 10, 2021)

Sexualized discrimination and violence are also present at German universities. To date, legal guidelines exist for dealing with this phenomenon of violence in everyday university life. However, despite concrete incidents, it seems unclear whether and to what extent preventive measures are implemented and whether they are suitable to achieve their intended goal. This problem is the focus of the two-day online conference "MeToo in Science", a cooperation event of the Ruhr-University Bochum and the University of Paderborn. The agenda includes legal guidelines as well as preventive measures to prevent and counter sexualized discrimination and violence. Part one of the conference will take place on 17th June 2021, conference part number two will follow on 01st July 2021 online via Zoom, on both days from 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Interested university administrations, gender equal opportunity officers and scientists can register here until 7th June 2021. Further information can be found on the homepage of the Ruhr-University Bochum.

Abuse of power in science – The perspective of doctoral students (May 10, 2021)

The N2 - Network of Doctoral Student Networks regularly conducts surveys among more than 16.000 doctoral students throughout Germany to represent the interests of doctoral students to research organizations and the public. One of the most recent surveys addresses the phenomenon of abuse of power in science. The survey results suggest an urgent need for action, as there is a high level of dissatisfaction among doctoral students. The respondents state that they perceive the strong dependence on a person hierarchically superior to them as problematic. Bullying by supervisors and superiors is one of many reasons why doctoral students think about leaving science. More information about the survey and the results can be found here.

EQUAL tools – Measures for more gender equal opportunities at Universities (May 10, 2021)

Despite the fact that the gender equal opportunity offices of universities have already been in operation for many years, there is still room for improvement in practice. Intending to support and inspire this work, the ETH Zurich has developed "EQUAL tools" - a catalog that includes good practice examples from various (technical) universities in addition to measures for more gender equal opportunities. In addition, the proposed measures are complemented by estimates of time and costs as well as success factors. Further information can be found on the ETH Zurich website.

Corona-KiTa-Rat: The meaning of childcare during the Corona crisis (May 5, 2021)

From a medical and social point of view the Corona-KiTa-Study investigates which meaning the corona crisis has for kindergartens, children and their parents. Results are regularly published and give on the one hand an overview of measures of hygiene in kindergartens and inoculation priorities for educational staff, on the other hand of the role of children as spreaders of the virus. The study serves to guide political decision-makers and legitimizes decisions in family policy. Discussing opening strategies and implementing such strategies is still strongly dependent on the current infection situation. Thereby, the focus is on health and safety protection of the education staff at their workplaces. The current decisions are recorded (as of March 30, 2021) in a video-statement by the Federal Minister for Family Affairs Franziska Giffey.

Changes in social and family policy in 2021 (April 8, 2021)

The german student union (Deutsches Studentenwerk) gives an overview of the latest changes and developements of social and family policy in 2021. Various information can be found in here, e.g. current arrangements for increasing child allowance (Kindergeld) and tax-free child allowance (Kinderfreibetrag), the adjustment of the Düsseldorfer Tabelle, financial discharge of single parents and arrangements for increasing of the housing benefit (Wohngeld). Further information to all changes can be found on the official website of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Therefore, the german student union gives advices by offering links in its published overview.

Social pedagogical blog around Corona (continuously up to date)

The Blog developed from an initiative of the executive committee of the commission social paedagogy in the Deutschen Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft e.V. The blog posts deal with diverse social questions that have arisen due to the Corona pandemic, especially with regard to education, care, nursing, etc.

Reforms on family benefits (February 23, 2021)

On September 1st, 2021 amendments to two laws come into force. There are amendments to the Federal Parental Allowance Law as well to the Parental Leave Law. Young parents profit from the reform, parents, who want to continue work in part-time during the first and second year after birth. Also parents from premature babies are taken in consideration. Federal Minister for Family Affairs Franziska Giffey gives an overview on the financial support in a video-statement. Further information can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

Are families experiencing a "backlash"? (February 23, 2021)

From a political point of view the fear arouse, that a process of so-called re-tradition of the role of family is currently taken place. One reason, which seems to undermine this thesis is that women at first glance withdraw from worklife in order to take care for their children. What is the matter about this statement? For investigation, Johanna Possinger from the College Ludwigsburg and Dörthe Gatermann from German Association for Public and Private Welfare Berlin look at existing studies on the topic. Their results can be read here.

Opening of schools – criticism by the GEW (February 16, 2021)

Which conditions have to be fulfilled to re-open schools? Does it make sense to link opening decisions to incidence numbers? Why is it important to have federal regulations for schools? The GEW criticizes the plans of policy in terms of re-opening schools. Marlis Tepe, president of the GEW, explains that decisions are made too hastily and that implementation is therefore about to fail. The demands of the GEW can be read here.

Relief for parents with children in childcare (February 16, 2021)

Social and financial relief to parents is brought by a law, which regulates the number of paid sick days due to childcare. The law comes in force backdated to 5th of January 2021 and ad-dresses all those parents, which can’t give their children into care institutions during latest times. In 2021, each parent will be entitled to twice as many pediatric sick days (Kinderkrankentage) per child as the provisions have provided so far. Moreover, in case of loss of earning due to no given possibilities of childcare parents are lawfully entitled to receive a compensation. The right of compensation for loss of earning is limited to 31st of March 2021. Detailed regulation for lawful claims can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.

Work-life-balance during the Corona crisis (February 3, 2021)

More and more companies are considering childcare as an important factor contributing to in-house productivity. Due to the effects of the Corona crisis, companies are responding with new flexible offerings. A study by the corporate program ,,Erfolgsfaktor Familie‘‘ reports on current developments in terms of compatibility. The BMFSFJ study can be accessed here.

Stress and mental strain at work (February 3, 2021)

The Stress Report 2019 published by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shows that the demands of the working world correlate with the occurrence of psychological stress factors. Despite slight decreases, work intensity is still at a high level. At the same time, more and more employees are finding the demands placed on them stressful. The current stress report is available here.

Health situation of women in Germany (February 3, 2021)

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) provides information on the health status, health behavior and health care of women in Germany. The focus is on various groups, such as women between gainful employment and family work or single parents. The RKI's survey report is accessible here.

Children, household, care - who takes care? (January 27, 2021)

The Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has published a dossier on the subject of "Children, Household, Care – who cares? Women and men are equally faced with the challenge of fulfilling professional obligations and care responsibilities. Equality policy aims to create a framework that enables women and men to share the work and care responsibilities in partnership. The dossier looks at the gender care gap, its causes and possible solutions. Are women the losers of the Covid-19 pandemic? A survey conducted by the Institute for Employment Research also deals with this question. The results of the survey can be viewed in the IBA-Forum.

Equality and university in the pandemic (continuously up to date)

The federal conference of women’s and gender equal opportunities commissioners of universities offers current information about equality, science and universities during the corona-pandemic.

Well-being of families in times of Corona (July 31, 2020)

DIW Berlin (German Institute for Economic Research) has published a report on the well-being of families in times of corona. It shows that parents with young children are said to be the most affected. Various survey data collected before and during the Corona pandemic show Satisfaction with life in general and also with family life and child care is significantly lower.

Discharge for single parents (July 31, 2020)

The disburdening factor for single parents (regulated in §24b of the income tax act) was raised from 1908€ up to 4008€ for 2020 and 2021 as a reaction on the special situation of single parents during the corona pandemic. Here you can read more about it.

Documentary: Life situation: Single parent! Which support does the single-parent-family need?” (July 31, 2020)

On the website of the family council a documentation was published, which shows the reality of life of single parents. During the family-political discussions on 26.06.2020 in Stuttgart, these were a theme. The contents are accessible here.

Children’s bonus has been enacted (June 12, 2020)

To support families in the corona pandemic financially and to set an impulse to revive the economy, a children’s bonus was enacted as part of the corona-economic stimulus package. Families can obtain 300€ per person in rates of 150€. Especially for families with a low/average income, the bonus is very welcome. Click here for more information.

Extended wage continuation has been enacted (June 5, 2020)

In the future parents will receive a compensation for loss of wages up to 20 weeks to support them even more during the corona pandemic and to offer financial security. The regulation applies to parents who have to take care of children aged up to 12 and who were not able to work regularly. Here you can read more about it.

New study „parents during the Corona-Crisis“ (June 5, 2020)

The Federal Institute for Population Research has published a new study entitled „parents during the Corona-Crisis: Forced to improvise“. The focus has been set on issues like closing of child care or school, home office, time use and much more. For more information, click here.

Study on the impact of the pandemic on families (May 15, 2020)

In the nationwide KICO study, more than 25.000 parents were questioned  about their current well-being and everyday family life during the corona pandemic. The experiences and perspectives are highlighted in the study. You can access the results of the study here.

Study on gender equality and Corona (April 23, 2020)

The study determines the impact of the corona-pandemic on parents and their time management relating to childcare, gainful employment and domestic work. Here you can find the evaluation.

Corona - Families at the limit (May 8, 2020)

The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung has conducted research on the effects of the corona pandemic on families. The following article deals with reasons such as multiple exposure and lack of contacts as well as possible consequences.

Participants sought for study to improve career re-entry

The ESB Business School of the University of Reutlingen is currently conducting a study on the topic of “re-entry after the baby” and “compatibility of family and career”. The results obtained are to be used to create helpful offers to parents in this situation. In concrete terms, a pilot mentoring program is to be developed that will link parents with each other as well as experts and mentors. All parents can participate in the study, regardless of how long ago they returned to work. Click here to take a closer look at the study.