Child Care

An allowance of €150.00 is granted for each child under the age of 14 for the care of own children. BAföG benefits are for education. Funds for the living expenses of children must be claimed in accordance with the general regulations of the Social Security Code. If both parents receive BAföG, only one of them will receive the child supplement.

If the standard period of study is exceeded due to pregnancy or the care and upbringing of a child under the age of 14, it is possible to extend the funding period beyond the standard period of study so that the upbringing of one's own children up to the age of 14 is recognized. In this case, the loan component is waived. The funds are provided exclusively as a grant, i.e. the parents are not financially burdened.

8,200.00 of their own assets are exempt. This amount increases by € 2,300.00 per child. In addition, your own income allowance increases by up to €570.00 per child.

You can find further information at www.das-neue-bafoeg.de and on the portal of the funding department at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz http://www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/einrbafoeg/.

The nursery and after-school care fees (children aged 0-2 and 6-10) depend on the parents' income. For children in kindergarten who are older than 2 years, only the costs for lunch are charged.

You can find a table of fees here.

Students can take a leave of absence from their studies due to pregnancy and/or caring for and raising a child. During this time, however, payment of BAföG maintenance is suspended. Leave of absence is only permitted for full semesters per degree program and generally only for a maximum of two consecutive semesters. For a leave of absence of more than four semesters during the duration of studies in a degree program, important reasons must be proven. This also includes pregnancy and the care of small children.

Further information can be found at: Leave of absence

Parental allowance is paid to fathers and mothers jointly for up to twelve months, provided they are not in full-time employment (up to 30 hours per week). Studying itself is not gainful employment for the purposes of parental allowance.

Two additional months of parental allowance can be granted if both parents apply for parental allowance, whereby each parent must receive at least two, but no more than twelve months of parental allowance and a reduction in earned income has occurred.

Single parents can receive parental allowance for up to 14 months, provided that they have also experienced a reduction in earned income, are the sole carer and parent of the child and have sole parental custody or at least the right to determine the child's place of residence.

The amount of parental allowance is at least €300 and a maximum of €1,800 and is calculated on the basis of the loss of earned income after the birth (income replacement rate of 65% for income above €1,200, gradually increasing from 65% to up to 67% for income between €1,199 and €1,000 and gradually increasing from 67% to up to 100% for income between €999 and €301).

Parents who are not working also receive parental allowance in the amount of the basic amount of € 300. The basic amount of € 300 is offset against unemployment benefit II, social assistance and supplementary child allowance.

The payment can be extended to double the duration by halving the payment amount.

Foreigners are only entitled to parental allowance if they have a settlement permit or a residence permit in accordance with certain sections of the Residence Act. A residence permit for the purpose of studying is not sufficient.

You can find out which authority is responsible from the administration of your local authority. For applicants living in the city of Mainz, this is the Landeshauptstadt Mainz, Amt für soziale Leistungen, Sachgebiet Ausbildungsförderung, Aufstiegsfortbildungsförderung, Elterngeld.

You can find the application form for parental allowance and the relevant explanations from the Ministerium für Integration, Familie, Kinder, Jugend und Frauen des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz (rechte Seite), Family, Children, Youth and Women (right-hand side). In addition, the Ministry's Parental Allowance and Parental Leave  Broschüre Elterngeld und Elternzeit.

The Studierendenwerk Mainz also offers the possibility of counseling and financial support. Information can be found here.

Einen Anspruch auf Kindergeld haben Eltern, die in Deutschland ihren Wohnsitz oder gewöhnlichen Aufenthalt besitzen. AusländerInnen müssen zusätzlich eine auf Dauer ausgerichtete Aufenthaltserlaubnis nachweisen. Eine Aufenthaltserlaubnis zum Zweck des Studiums berechtigt nicht, Kindergeld zu beantragen.

Eltern erhalten für studierende Kinder Kindergeld, solange diese unter 25 Jahren sind. Über das 25. Jahr hinaus wird Kindergeld gezahlt, wenn sich die Ausbildung aufgrund des Grundwehr- oder Zivildienstes (bzw. entsprechend anerkannter Dienste) verzögert hat. Das Kindergeld wird dabei maximal um die Dauer des geleisteten Grund- oder Zivildienstes gezahlt. Darüber hinaus geleistete Dienstzeiten werden nicht berücksichtigt.

Für Kinder, die wegen eines fehlenden Ausbildungsplatzes oder weil sie auf einen Studienplatz warten, ihre Ausbildung unterbrechen müssen, gelten die gleichen Regelungen wie für Kinder in Ausbildung.

Das Kindergeld wird bei der zuständigen Familienkasse der Agentur für Arbeit beantragt. Für das Kindergeld in Mainz ist die Familienkasse der Agentur für Arbeit in Bad Kreuznach zuständig.

Wie viel Kindergeld gibt es?

Das Kindergeld beträgt ab dem 1.1.2021:

• für das erste und zweite Kind jeweils 219 €
• für das dritte Kind 225 €
• für jedes weitere Kind jeweils 250 €

Zu den Zeiten des Studiums, für die Kindergeld gewährt wird, zählen auch Unterbrechungen wegen Krankheit und Mutterschaft (Mutterschutzzeit). Für eine Studentin kann für diesen Zeitraum also weiterhin Kindergeld gewährt werden, sofern sie selbst für ihr Kind kein Elterngeld erhält oder sich in Elternzeit befindet. Lässt sich eine Studentin beurlauben, um ihr Kind zu betreuen, wird für sie in der Regel nur bis zum Ende der Mutterschutzzeit Kindergeld gezahlt. Für die daran anschließende Zeit der Kinderbetreuung besteht kein eigener Kindergeldanspruch mehr. Wird das Studium jedoch in dem auf die Beurlaubung folgenden Semester fortgeführt, kann die Zeit vom Ende der Mutterschutzzeit bis zum Semesterbeginn als Übergangszeit anerkannt werden, wenn sie vier Monate nicht überschreitet.

Wie wirkt sich studentisches Einkommen auf den Kindergeldanspruch der Eltern aus?

Seit 2012 entfällt die Prüfung des studentischen Einkommens. Es ist nun also egal, wie viel Studierende verdienen – das Kindergeld an die Eltern wird trotzdem gezahlt. Ausführliche Informationen über den Kindergeldbezug, Altersgrenzen und Ausbildungszeiten bietet das Merkblatt Kindergeld des Bundeszentralamtes für Steuern.

Parents who are resident or ordinarily resident in Germany are entitled to child benefit. Foreign nationals must also provide proof of a permanent residence permit. A residence permit for the purpose of studying does not entitle you to apply for child benefit.

Parents receive child benefit for children who are studying as long as they are under the age of 25. Child benefit is paid beyond the age of 25 if education has been delayed due to basic military or civilian service (or correspondingly recognized service). Child benefit is paid for a maximum of the duration of the basic or alternative civilian service. Periods of service beyond this are not taken into account.

For children who have to interrupt their education due to a lack of a training place or because they are waiting for a place at university, the same regulations apply as for children in training.

Child benefit is applied for at the relevant family benefits office of the employment agency. The family benefits office of the employment agency in Bad Kreuznach is responsible for child benefit in Mainz.

How much child benefit is there?
The child benefit is from 1.1.2021:

• for the first and second child €219 each
• €225 for the third child
• €250 for each additional child

The periods of study for which child benefit is granted also include interruptions due to illness and maternity (maternity protection period). A student can therefore continue to receive child benefit for this period if she does not receive parental benefit for her child or is on parental leave. If a student takes leave of absence to care for her child, child benefit is generally only paid until the end of the maternity protection period. There is no entitlement to child benefit for the subsequent period of childcare. However, if you continue your studies in the semester following the leave of absence, the period from the end of the maternity protection period to the start of the semester can be recognized as a transitional period if it does not exceed four months.

How does student income affect parents' entitlement to child benefit?

Since 2012, the assessment of student income has been abolished. So now it doesn't matter how much students earn - child benefit is still paid to parents. Detailed information on child benefit entitlement, age limits and periods of education can be found in the information sheet on child benefit from the Federal Central Tax Office.

For parents who can cover their own needs through their own income or assets, but not those of their children, there is a child supplement of a maximum of €185 per month. This is paid if it prevents them from receiving unemployment benefit II or social benefit.

With the exception of child benefit and housing benefit, the child's income and assets are offset against the child supplement. Housing benefit is not taken into account when calculating the parents' income.

As a rule, the supplement is paid to the parent who has also applied for child benefit. It is paid for a child up to the age of 25 at the longest.

The child supplement must be applied for separately in writing at the family benefits office. Application forms are available from the Family Benefits Office of the Employment Agency.

You can find more information on eligibility, types of income that do not count and a child supplement calculator on the Familien-Wegweisers des Bundesministeriums für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend or in the Info Child supplement leaflet.

Since 2011, children and young people have received benefits for education and participation in social and cultural life. These include activities for children and young people in the fields of sport, art, culture and social life.

Who receives this benefit?
If you receive unemployment benefit II, social assistance, housing benefit, child supplement or benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act (§ 2 Para. 1). Families with a low income can also apply for benefits. This is decided on a case-by-case basis.

Where do I submit the application?
If you receive unemployment benefit II or social benefit, you should apply to the relevant job center. Recipients of social assistance should apply to the social welfare office of the city or municipality. Recipients of housing benefit or supplementary child allowance can first submit their applications to the local housing benefit office or the family benefits office.

What can you apply for?
Daycare and school trips lasting one or more days:
The actual costs incurred for the excursions are covered. Pocket money for additional expenses is not covered. An application with proof of the costs incurred must be submitted before the excursion. The amount will be transferred directly to the institution.

School supplies:
School supplies include, for example: school bag, sports kit, writing, arithmetic and drawing materials, fountain pens, crayons, compasses, set square and eraser. This does not include materials that need to be bought regularly, e.g. exercise books, pencils and ink cartridges. The new regulation applies for the first time for the 2011/2012 school year. Recipients of housing benefit or child supplement must submit an application. All other beneficiaries will receive the benefit automatically. 100.00 will be paid on 01.08., 50.00 on 01.02. of each year. For all pupils under the age of 7 or over the age of 15, proof of school attendance must be enclosed. Receipts must be submitted at the request of the funding body.

Lunchtime meals in daycare facilities, daycare centers and schools:
A monthly allowance is paid towards the cost of a communal lunch in a daycare center, school or after-school care center. Sandwiches bought at a kiosk are not subsidized. The application must be accompanied by registration for lunch or other suitable proof. We will help you with the application. 

Learning support:
If promotion to the next grade is at risk and improvement can only be achieved with tutoring, it is possible to apply for funding for learning support. This does not apply to achieving a better school recommendation (e.g. transfer to a grammar school). The costs incurred must be reasonable for the local area.When applying, you will receive a form in which the school should confirm the need for learning support.There is a form for the recommendation. You will then receive a voucher and hand it in to the relevant tutor.

Subsidy towards the cost of school transportation:
If the nearest school is more than two kilometers away from home, students under the age of 25 can receive a subsidy for transportation costs.A need can only be taken into account if public transportation (school bus, public bus, suburban train, streetcar, etc.) is actually used to get to school. The subsidy for school transportation costs is provided as a cash benefit and must be documented (e.g. by presenting a ticket).

Benefit for social and cultural participation:This benefit is intended to enable children and young people under the age of 18 to integrate into club and community structures and, in particular, to establish contact with their peers.This includes:.

• Membership fees in the areas of sport, games, culture and socializing (e.g. soccer club),
• Lessons in artistic subjects (e.g. music lessons),
• Guided cultural education activities (e.g. museum visits),participation in camps (e.g. scouts, theater camps).

The voucher worth up to 15 euros per month can be used for the above-mentioned activities if desired.Proof of the association fee or other corresponding costs is required.

Further information can be found under Familien-Wegweiser des Bundesministeriums für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend.You can call up the relevant applications under City of Mainz Forms.

Who can apply for a place?
Studierendenwerk Mainz accepts children of students of the universities we support, as well as of employees of Mainz University of Applied Sciences and the Max Planck Institutes. Families should be registered in Mainz as their primary place of residence. There is also a small contingent for families outside Mainz.If you already have a place in another daycare center, you cannot register with us.

If you are not eligible, you can register with the City of Mainz or other independent or denominational providers:City of Mainz.Employees of Johannes Gutenberg University who need a place in a daycare center should contact the university's Family Service Office.

We recommend that you visit the facility or take part in the digital information event before submitting your application (appointments by telephone arrangement).

• Campulino: individual appointments by prior arrangement by telephone on 06131/39 37374
• Montessori children's house Sprösslinge:

Important notice:Due to the Corona pandemic, no tours and parent information events for interested parties can currently take place at the Montessori Children's House.Instead, you can attend a digital information event every last Thursday of the month from 10 am. You can log in here

When do places become available?Places normally become available when the older children start school, i.e. at the beginning of the new school year (Aug./Sept.). Of course, places may become available during the year due to relocation or the end of studies. However, this is the exception rather than the rule.

When does the allocation take place?
As a rule, decisions on the allocation of places are made two to three months before the new kindergarten year and according to which criteria are places allocated?

The allocation committee allocates places for students according to urgency, which must be present and sufficiently occupied at the time of the allocation meeting. The Studierendenwerk Mainz has laid down the criteria according to which the allocation of places for students is assessed and decided in the regulations on the allocation of places for students. You can find the complete allocation regulations here:

Allocation regulations for childcare places (studierendenwerk-mainz.de) Vergabeordnung für Betreuungsplätze (studierendenwerk-mainz.de)

Our cooperation partners, on the other hand, decide on the places for employees.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

By when do I have to submit the application?
The allocation of places is not based on the date of receipt of the application, but on the priority of urgency. For places starting next summer, applications should be submitted by 15.05. of the year so that they can still be processed.

Parents who look after children and are therefore unable to work are entitled to childcare maintenance from the other parent until the third year after the birth.

If advance maintenance payments are made, the state makes advance payments. The child's maintenance claims against the parent liable for maintenance are thus transferred to the state for this period. If the debtor is unable to pay through no fault of their own, they may be exempted from repaying the maintenance advance. This applies in particular to periods of education. However, there is no clear regulation on this, rather it is a matter of discretion.

Students can claim maintenance if they are unable to pursue any other employment (gainful employment and/or studies) in addition to caring for their child. Students on leave of absence with a child under the age of three can therefore claim maintenance payments for themselves from the other parent, as they spend all their time caring for the child. However, if they continue to study after the birth, they cannot claim maintenance from the other parent.

In the event of separation or divorce, maintenance obligations may also apply beyond this point in time.

Maintenance for the child
Both parents are liable to pay maintenance to their child. In the case of separated parents, the parent with whom the child lives (usually the mother) fulfills the maintenance obligation through care and upbringing, while the father is liable for cash maintenance. The basis for calculating this is the income of the person liable for maintenance and the age of the child.

Single parents can apply for advance maintenance payments for a maximum of six years within the first twelve years of the child's life if the other parent pays no or too little maintenance.

Advance maintenance payments
There is an exclusion of entitlement to advance maintenance payments if:

• both parents (married or not) live together,
• the single parent remarries,
• the single parent is not willing to cooperate in establishing paternity and/or the whereabouts of the other parent, or
• the other parent pays maintenance of at least the applicable standard amount.

If the parent liable for maintenance only has a low income, he or she is only liable to pay up to the limit of the so-called deductible. The deductible is the amount that the person liable for maintenance should have left to cover their own maintenance.

You can obtain more detailed information from the administration of your local authority. For applicants living in the city of Mainz, this is the Mainz City Administration, Office for Social Benefits.

Further information on the legal basis and publications on this topic can be obtained from the (Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth) Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend.

Foundation “Mother and Child - Protection of Unborn Life”
The Federal Foundation “Mother and Child - Protection of Unborn Life” supports pregnant women in need with one-off benefits that are not already covered by other social benefits. There is no legal entitlement to support.

The prerequisite for assistance is that the consultation and application is made at a pregnancy advice center and that there is a financial emergency.

Possible financial assistance depends on the individual needs, e.g. assistance for basic baby equipment, changing unit, crib, costs for finding accommodation and for furnishing or renovating accommodation or baby carriages.

Pregnant women who wish to take advantage of this assistance should contact a pregnancy advice center and submit the application there.

Further information on the aims of the foundation, the type and scope of possible support and how to apply can be found at the Federal Foundation Mother and Child

Foundation “Family in Need”
The purpose of the foundation is to provide families with quick financial assistance tailored to the individual case. The prerequisite for this is that the necessary help cannot be provided by other service providers or that this help is not sufficient.

Applications to the Rhineland-Palatinate State Foundation are not subject to a deadline. Applications to the Federal Foundation must be received by the allocation committee before the birth of the child. There is no legal entitlement to assistance from this foundation.

Priority is given to

• Single parents,
• young families
• and especially families with many children who find themselves in an exceptional emergency or conflict situation.

Further information about the foundation, the type and scope of assistance and how to apply can be found on the Website of the State Office for Social Affairs, Youth and Care.

or:

Housing benefit is a state rent subsidy that is intended to enable people with low incomes to live in suitable accommodation.

Can students receive housing benefit?
In certain cases, it is possible for students to receive housing benefit. Despite receiving BAföG, students can receive housing benefit if their child is entitled to housing benefit. In this case, the rent is deducted from the BAföG. However, if social benefit is paid for the child and the parents receive BAföG, no housing benefit is paid.

Most students are not entitled to housing benefit because they either receive BAföG or their own income or that of their parents is too high. However, those who are not entitled to BAföG are entitled to housing benefit. These are students who

• have exceeded the age limit of 30 or 35 years at the start of their studies,
• have changed their course or field of study without a recognized reason,
• have exceeded the maximum funding period,
• have started a course that is not eligible for funding (e.g. a second course),
• have not provided the required proof of performance in accordance with § 48 BAföG, have children to look after.

Since 2009, students who only receive BAföG as an interest-bearing bank loan (e.g. after changing their course of study or as a graduation grant) can also apply for housing benefit! An application can be made, but each individual case is calculated individually. There is no general entitlement to approval.

As a rule, foreign students do not receive housing benefit if they have received a residence permit for the purpose of studying.

If there are any doubts about the credibility of the student, the housing benefit office will check whether the income plus any housing benefit granted is sufficient to live on. Since the Housing Benefit Act does not contain a separate regulation on the minimum subsistence level, it may be necessary to prove in individual cases that the available income is sufficient.

How is housing benefit calculated?
In certain cases, it is possible for students to receive housing benefit. Despite receiving BAföG, students can receive housing benefit if their child is entitled to housing benefit. In this case, the rent is deducted from the BAföG. However, if social benefit is paid for the child and the parents receive BAföG, no housing benefit will be paid.

The amount of housing benefit is calculated from the amount of income, the basic rent and the number of family members possibly still living in the household. If you live with others in a so-called “residential and economic community”, the income of the flatmates is also taken into account if it cannot be credibly demonstrated at the time of application that it is only a functional shared flat.

How and where do I apply for housing benefit?
The application for housing benefit must be submitted to the Mainz City Administration, Office for Social Benefits and is paid from the month in which the application is submitted.

The amount of housing benefit is calculated from the amount of income, the basic rent and the number of family members possibly still living in the household. If you live with others in a so-called “residential and economic community”, the income of the flatmates is also taken into account if it cannot be credibly demonstrated at the time of application that it is only a functional shared flat.

How and where do I apply for housing benefit?
The application for housing benefit must be submitted to the Mainz City Administration, Office for Social Benefits and is paid from the month in which the application is submitted.

The application must be accompanied by the following

• Notification from the BAföG office that you are not entitled to BAföG on the merits,
• Certificate from the landlord/landlady stating the rent, size and first occupancy of the apartment,
• Certificate of income if you have your own income,
• proof of health insurance,
• certificate of enrollment

The Office for Social Benefits will issue a written decision on the possible housing benefit, which you can appeal against within four weeks if necessary. If the decision is positive, housing benefit is usually paid for 12 months. After 10 months, a new application should be submitted.