Germany’s new Federal Family Minister, Anne Spiegel, has unveiled plans to give more financial support to parents following the birth of a child. While all new mothers in Germany receive maternity benefit, the plan is to create a similar entitlement to paid leave for the other parent - on top of the parental allowance that both parents are already entitled to.

Germany to give more paid leave to both parents after birth of child

Spiegel announced this week that soon both parents in Germany will be entitled to two weeks of paid leave immediately after the birth of a child. “We will be introducing the new option that one parent - typically the father - can stay with the family for the first two weeks after the birth, on a full salary,” Spiegel told the Rheinische Post. “Up until now, one parent has often struggled to save holiday days for this.” 

She added that the new government also wanted to extend the amount of parental allowance available to couples that split leave between them. Under the current rules, parents who share the allowance can receive up to a shared total of 14 months between them, or 24 months if they also work part-time. Spiegel said she would like to lengthen the entitlement, to “give more support when couples see childcare as an equal task.” 

Government plans benefit for family carers

The government also plans to create an entitlement to paid leave for people who take time off to care for relatives. “We also want to enable people who care for relatives to take a professional break through family care leave,” Spiegel said. “For this we want to create a benefit similar to the parental allowance.”