https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Germany's Bundestag approved legislation to create a new state-backed pension savings scheme for children on Friday. Here’s what parents need to know. https://www.thelocal.de/20261016/german-parliament-approves-early-start-pension-for-children Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:42:53 +0200 german-parliament-approves-early-start-pension-for-children A new childcare reform could introduce developmental assessments for young children and extra support in daycare centres. Here's what foreign families in Germany need to know. https://www.thelocal.de/20261009/how-germanys-plan-to-test-4-year-olds-will-affect-bilingual-families Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:42:17 +0200 how-germanys-plan-to-test-4-year-olds-will-affect-bilingual-families Parents in Germany will soon be able to book chaperoned journeys on selected ICE trains for children aged six to 14, offering extra peace of mind when youngsters travel independently between major cities. https://www.thelocal.de/20260811/deutsche-bahn-rolls-out-supervised-rail-service-for-kids-travelling-alone Tue, 11 Aug 2026 10:44:28 +0200 deutsche-bahn-rolls-out-supervised-rail-service-for-kids-travelling-alone German parliament approved plans to extend 'Mutterschutz' rules to include support for people who have suffered a miscarriage. Here's what you need to know https://www.thelocal.de/20250206/mutterschutz-germanys-plans-to-extend-maternity-paid-leave-following-miscarriage Thu, 06 Feb 2025 13:36:05 +0100 mutterschutz-germanys-plans-to-extend-maternity-paid-leave-following-miscarriage From a hike in child benefits to parental allowance adjustments via the possibility of paid paternity leave, we look at what's changing for families in Germany - and what's not - this year. https://www.thelocal.de/20250107/the-big-changes-for-families-in-germany-in-2025 Tue, 07 Jan 2025 13:15:57 +0100 the-big-changes-for-families-in-germany-in-2025 Germany’s coalition government wants to halve the income limit for couples eligible to receive Elterngeld to €150,000, affecting about 60,000 families. The proposal, made to save money, has been met with controversy. https://www.thelocal.de/20230704/why-germany-wants-to-halve-income-limits-of-those-who-receive-elterngeld Tue, 04 Jul 2023 19:16:27 +0200 why-germany-wants-to-halve-income-limits-of-those-who-receive-elterngeld Most Germans say that family is the most important thing in their life - but what are the realities of raising children in Germany? We take a look at the outlook for families, and how much it really costs to raise a child. https://www.thelocal.de/20211029/how-much-does-it-cost-to-bring-up-a-child-in-germany Fri, 29 Oct 2021 19:42:39 +0200 how-much-does-it-cost-to-bring-up-a-child-in-germany Both new mums and dads in Germany can take advantage of a generous parental leave policy. Here’s what you need to know, including the unique way leave can be split up, how it applies to freelancers, and where the Bundesrepublik stands in comparison to other countries. https://www.thelocal.de/20210607/explained-everything-you-need-to-know-about-parental-leave-in-germany Mon, 07 Jun 2021 20:15:24 +0200 explained-everything-you-need-to-know-about-parental-leave-in-germany As part of its latest coronavirus financial support package, the German government announced that families would receive a one-off payment of €150 per child. https://www.thelocal.de/20210209/heres-when-parents-in-germany-will-receive-a-one-off-kinderbonus-of-150 Tue, 09 Feb 2021 10:54:17 +0100 heres-when-parents-in-germany-will-receive-a-one-off-kinderbonus-of-150 A new Kinderbonus, support for low-income earners and aid for companies and culture - here's how the government's new aid package will affect you. https://www.thelocal.de/20210204/explained-how-germany-plans-to-support-families-and-businesses-in-the-pandemic Thu, 04 Feb 2021 10:06:03 +0100 explained-how-germany-plans-to-support-families-and-businesses-in-the-pandemic Families in Germany are to receive the first instalment of a one-off payment – the 'Kinderbonus' – on September 7th. https://www.thelocal.de/20200817/germany-to-start-paying-out-coronavirus-kinderbonus-in-three-weeks Mon, 17 Aug 2020 13:18:10 +0200 germany-to-start-paying-out-coronavirus-kinderbonus-in-three-weeks Germany's governing coalition has agreed to increase child benefits (Kindergeld) and offer tax relief. Here's what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.de/20200729/how-germany-plans-to-increase-child-benefits-and-provide-tax-relief Wed, 29 Jul 2020 13:51:32 +0200 how-germany-plans-to-increase-child-benefits-and-provide-tax-relief All families across Germany are to receive a one-off cash bonus for each child in two installments later this year, the cabinet decided on Friday. https://www.thelocal.de/20200612/heres-when-families-will-receive-germanys-kinderbonus-payment Fri, 12 Jun 2020 15:56:42 +0200 heres-when-families-will-receive-germanys-kinderbonus-payment The German government plans to spend €130 billion to revive the economy, and the package includes a one-off bonus of €300 per child. We break down what it means for families. https://www.thelocal.de/20200605/explained-how-does-germanys-kinderbonus-coronavirus-payment-work Fri, 05 Jun 2020 11:56:23 +0200 explained-how-does-germanys-kinderbonus-coronavirus-payment-work The government has agreed on a huge economic stimulus package aimed at kick-starting the economy and supporting people in Germany. From families to consumers and business owners, this is how it measures up. https://www.thelocal.de/20200604/explained-how-germanys-new-multi-billion-aid-package-will-benefit-you Thu, 04 Jun 2020 11:22:15 +0200 explained-how-germanys-new-multi-billion-aid-package-will-benefit-you Working parents often face difficulties in finding childcare for school-age children that lasts all day. But the German government has taken a huge step forward to tackle this. https://www.thelocal.de/20191113/how-germany-plans-to-help-working-parents-with-guaranteed-all-day-care-for-children Wed, 13 Nov 2019 13:36:58 +0100 how-germany-plans-to-help-working-parents-with-guaranteed-all-day-care-for-children A German politician is pushing to legalize human egg donation and surrogate motherhood in Germany - both of which are forbidden by a 30-year-old law. https://www.thelocal.de/20190813/germany-debates-legalizing-egg-donations-and-surrogacy Tue, 13 Aug 2019 11:56:15 +0200 germany-debates-legalizing-egg-donations-and-surrogacy Germany wants to improve pre-school care across the country and reduce costs for families. But how does each state plan to do it? https://www.thelocal.de/20190731/explained-how-each-german-state-is-planning-to-improve-childcare-and-lower-costs-for-families-kita-kindergarten Wed, 31 Jul 2019 16:51:23 +0200 explained-how-each-german-state-is-planning-to-improve-childcare-and-lower-costs-for-families-kita-kindergarten The German government is set to sign off a proposal from the Finance Ministry on Wednesday that will provide tax relief totalling €9.8 billion a year. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz promised it would make a big difference to low earners. https://www.thelocal.de/20180627/government-agrees-multi-billion-euro-tax-relief-to-help-poor-families Wed, 27 Jun 2018 13:05:57 +0200 government-agrees-multi-billion-euro-tax-relief-to-help-poor-families A new study by the Bertelsmann Foundation shows that families are more likely to be at risk of poverty the bigger they are. https://www.thelocal.de/20180207/risk-of-poverty-rises-with-every-child-a-couple-has Wed, 07 Feb 2018 16:26:38 +0100 risk-of-poverty-rises-with-every-child-a-couple-has