📞 Advice and contact points
In brief
For the various topics around raising children alone there are separate responsibilities – from authorities for specific applications to independent advice centres for orientation and conflicts. This overview brings together the most important contact points.
If in doubt: better to contact an advice centre once too often than too late – many deadlines in social and family law are short and run regardless of whether you have already informed yourself.
Step by step
- First orientationFor a general overview of your entitlements, contact the Jugendamt or an advice centre of the Verband alleinerziehender Mütter und Väter (VAMV, Association of Single Mothers and Fathers).
- Clarify financial benefitsThe Jugendamt is responsible for advance maintenance payment and Beistandschaft, the Familienkasse for child benefit and child supplement, the Jobcenter for basic income support and additional needs allowance, the housing benefit office for housing benefit and the Finanzamt for single parent tax relief.
- Family law questionsFor custody and contact rights and contested determination of maintenance, contact a specialist lawyer for family law or the family court directly.
- Parenting and conflict counsellingLocal parenting counselling centres (§ 28 SGB VIII) help free of charge with parenting questions and conflicts with the other parent.
- Get help immediately in case of violenceIn case of domestic violence, contact the nationwide Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen (Violence against Women helpline, 116 016) round the clock, free of charge and anonymously, or contact the police directly.
Deadlines
- Different benefits have different application authorities – an application to the Jobcenter does not automatically cover child benefit, child supplement, housing benefit or single parent tax relief.
- Advice from the VAMV, welfare organisations or parenting counselling centres is generally free of charge – do not be unsettled by offers from commercial providers who charge money for general initial advice.
- In acute domestic violence every minute counts – do not hesitate to contact the police (110) or the helpline, even if you are not yet sure whether the situation is "bad enough".
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Contact points at a glance
- Jugendamt: advance maintenance payment, Beistandschaft, daycare place mediation, parenting counselling, general advice for single parents.
- Familienkasse of the Federal Employment Agency: child benefit, child supplement.
- Jobcenter: basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld, Bürgergeld), additional needs allowance for single parents.
- Municipal housing benefit office: housing benefit.
- Finanzamt: single parent tax relief, tax class II.
- Family court / specialist lawyer for family law: custody, contact rights, contested determination of maintenance.
- Verband alleinerziehender Mütter und Väter (VAMV): independent, nationwide representation of interests and advice specifically for single parents.
- Debt counselling centres (Caritas, Diakonie, Verbraucherzentrale): over-indebtedness, protection from attachment, personal insolvency.
- Hilfetelefon Gewalt gegen Frauen (116 016): free, anonymous advice round the clock in case of domestic violence, multilingual.
When which office is responsible
A rule of thumb: if it is about money from the state, the Jugendamt, Familienkasse, Jobcenter, housing benefit office or Finanzamt is usually responsible. If it is about the other parent (maintenance, custody, contact), the Jugendamt (Beistandschaft, counselling) and the family court are the right contacts. If it is about conflicts, feeling overwhelmed or crises, independent advice centres such as parenting counselling, VAMV or debt counselling help – regardless of whether an application is already pending.
A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.