👨‍👩‍👧 Wegweiser Parents & Families

Child benefit (Kindergeld), child supplement (Kinderzuschlag), daycare, school, sick days for children, youth welfare office (Jugendamt) and children's rights: clear answers for parents of school-age children.

Legal position: September 2026. Checked: the Income Tax Act (Einkommensteuergesetz), the Federal Child Benefit Act (Bundeskindergeldgesetz), SGB II, V, VIII, XII, the Civil Code (BGB) and the Youth Protection Act (Jugendschutzgesetz) via gesetze-im-internet.de, as well as pages of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency). The special rule on child sick days (15/30 days) applies only to 2026; as of 20 September 2026 there is no rule for 2027, so 10/20 or 25/50 days apply again. State law covers not only daycare and school fees but also the length of compulsory schooling, school enrolment, choice of school, learning materials, school transport, fines, special educational needs and how all-day schooling is organised. Only Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin have been checked; 13 other states have not. Sources and open points: Sources and limits. Information, not legal advice.

Roadmap: answer questions, see steps with deadlines – Baby on the way: maternity protection, parental leave, parental allowance.

Frequently searched

💶 Applying for child benefit 🧾 Child supplement for low incomes 🧸 Daycare, childminders and all-day care at primary school age 🤒 Child sick days and child sickness benefit 🛡️ Child protection and the Jugendamt: your rights 📞 Advice and contact points

All topic areas

🧭OverviewWhat families with children are entitled to and where to start.1 topic 💶Money for familiesChild benefit, child supplement, education package and maintenance.5 topics 🏫Daycare, school, workRight to childcare, compulsory schooling and child sick days.3 topics ⚖️Custody, Jugendamt, children's rightsCustody, child protection, support services and the child's rights.4 topics 📱Phones and internetAge ratings and parenting online.1 topic 📞AdviceContact points documented nationwide.1 topic

🧭 Overview

What families with children are entitled to and where to start.

🧭Overview: rights and benefits for familiesWhat parents of school-age children should know: money, childcare, school, child protection and the child's rights.

💶 Money for families

Child benefit, child supplement, education package and maintenance.

💶Applying for child benefit€259 per child and month. The application goes to the Familienkasse. 🧾Child supplement for low incomesUp to €297 per child and month on top of child benefit, if your income only just covers your needs. 🎒Education and participation (education package)School supplies, trips, lunch, tutoring and club fees for children from low-income families. 🎓Child benefit for adult childrenUp to 25 in training or study: when child benefit continues after the 18th birthday. 📚Training and maintenance for adult childrenParents owe maintenance also for appropriate vocational training. What that means.

🏫 Daycare, school, work

Right to childcare, compulsory schooling and child sick days.

🧸Daycare, childminders and all-day care at primary school ageLegal right to a place from the first birthday and to all-day care at primary school age. 🏫Compulsory schooling and choice of schoolAll children must attend school, for nine or ten years depending on the state. The states regulate the details. 🤒Child sick days and child sickness benefit2026: 15 working days per parent and child, single parents 30. Sickness benefit 90 percent.

⚖️ Custody, Jugendamt, children's rights

Custody, child protection, support services and the child's rights.

👪Custody: the basicsWho has custody? Married, not married, joint or sole. 🛡️Child protection and the Jugendamt: your rightsThe Jugendamt is meant to help and protect. What happens when there is a report of endangerment and what parents can demand. 🤝Educational support: your right to assistanceIf parenting becomes difficult, you can ask the Jugendamt for help before anything happens. 🧒The child's own rights, independent of the parentsChildren have a right to non-violent upbringing, to participation and to advice without their parents knowing.

📱 Phones and internet

Age ratings and parenting online.

📱Phones, internet and youth protectionAge ratings for films and games, parenting online and where to find help.

📞 Advice

Contact points documented nationwide.

📞Advice and contact pointsNationally documented helplines and services for parents, children and young people.

For reference

📕Keyword indexAll terms from A to Z, with links to the matching topic pages. 📜Sources and methodWhere the information comes from and what is expressly uncertain. 🏠Other target groupsTo the overview of all Wegweiser portals.

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.