Corona crisis: help for parents with loss of earnings due to childcare

For parents who have to care for their children at home due to the closure of kindergarten or school and thus have a loss of earnings, there is financial assistance from the state.

On the initiative of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, a compensation entitlement for parents' loss of earnings in the event of official closure of schools and daycare centers is included in the Infection Protection Act. Entitled to the assistance are the legal guardians of children up to the age of 12 or children with disabilities who are dependent on assistance. The prerequisite is that the persons concerned cannot realize any other reasonable care (e.g. by the other parent or emergency care in the facilities). However, the child's grandparents or other persons belonging to a risk group expressly do not have to be called upon for this purpose.

There is no loss of earnings if there are other ways of staying away from work temporarily on a paid basis, such as reducing time credits. Claims to short-time allowance also generally take precedence over the compensation claim. Compensation amounting to 67 % of net income is granted for up to six weeks and is limited to a maximum monthly amount of 2,016 euros. Payment is made by the employer, who may submit an application for reimbursement to the competent authority designated by the Länder. It is possible to request an advance from the authority. The scheme does not apply to periods when the facility would be closed anyway for school vacations and is limited until the end of 2020.