If you have had a child, you must register the child’s birth at the registry office of your municipality. If the child was not born in your place of residence, bring the birth certificate of the place of birth. You also need to bring the following documents: marriage certificate, birth certificates of the parents and a photocopy of your passports.
In Germany, there is an entitlement to child benefit for every minor child (under certain conditions also for children of full age). You can apply for this at the family benefits office responsible for you.
Postal address:
Familienkasse Baden-Württemberg West
76088 Karlsruhe
eMail: Familienkasse-Baden-Wuerttemberg-West@arbeitsagentur.de
Visitor address:
Familienkasse in Lörrach
Brombacherstr. 2
79539 Lörrach
E-mail: familienkasse-loerrach@arbeitsagentur.de
Homepage Familienkasse
If you as parents earn enough to cover your own needs, but not those of your children, you can apply for the Child Supplement. You also apply for this money at the family benefits office if you receive child benefit for your unmarried children under 25 years of age living in the same household. (for address, see above.)
Mothers and fathers are entitled to the Parental Allowance after the birth of their child. The following conditions need to be met:
You can obtain the application form for this at the town hall of your place of residence.
You will also need the following documents to forward the application to the L-Bank:
You can receive benefits for ‘BuT” if you receive one of the following benefits:
If you do not receive any of these benefits, you could still be entitled to benefits from the Education and Social Participation (“BuT”) package. For this purpose, please contact the Job Centre contact person named below.
In the Education and Social Participation package, you can, for example, receive allowances for excursions, communal lunches, school trips, school supplies, school transport, extracurricular learning support, membership fees in clubs, cultural education and extracurricular leisure activities.
You can find more information about education and participation here.
Children under 6 years of age can be registered in a day care centre of your choice. They are a supplement to education in the family. You have to pay money for your child to attend the day care centre. If you do not have enough money yourself, you can apply for support.
You can find a suitable day care place for your child in your place of residence by searching your municipality’s website. Links are available under the heading Living in the District.
In Germany, school attendance is compulsory for every child from the age of 6. In contrast to the day care centre, school attendance is free of charge. The school system in Baden-Württemberg initially provides for four years of attendance at primary school.
Afterwards, the children transfer to a secondary school. Here it is possible to choose between the following school types:
The child must be present when registering at the school. The contact details of the schools available to you can also be found in the attachment under your municipality.
All families with at least three children are eligible for a State Family Pass. Single parents are entitled to receive the State Family Pass with only one child. In addition, families who have a child with a severe disability can apply for the State Family Pass.
Families with at least one child who receive Hartz IV benefits, child supplement or families with at least one child who receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act can also apply for the State Family Pass.
With the State Family Pass and the new annual voucher card, families can visit castles, gardens and museums throughout Baden-Württemberg up to 20 times free of charge or at a reduced entrance fee.
You can apply for the State Family Pass by simply calling in at the town hall in your place of residence (see Living in the District).