Family policy: Paus confident of agreement on basic child security

family policy
Paus confident of agreement on basic child security

Green Party politician and Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth: Lisa Paus. photo

© Hendrik Schmidt/dpa

It is the central socio-political project of the traffic light coalition: basic child security is intended to combat poverty among children – but there are still unanswered questions, for example when it comes to money. The countries put the pressure on.

Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) hopes for an early breakthrough in the dispute over the introduction of basic child security.

“Federal Family Minister Paus is optimistic that an agreement could be reached before the parliamentary summer break,” said a ministry spokeswoman for the German Press Agency. The ministry presented the cornerstones for the planned basic child security back in January 2023. The family ministers of the federal and state governments are discussing accompanying measures for the introduction in Potsdam.

Several states are calling on the federal government to end the differences. “It would be a good signal if the starting shot could be fired at the federal level, even if not everything can be mapped,” said Brandenburg’s Family Minister Ursula Nonnemacher (Greens). A motion at the conference addresses basic requirements for implementation. Nonnemacher chairs the conference together with Brandenburg’s youth minister Steffen Freiberg (SPD).

“The almost endless debate about basic child security within the federal government must come to an end,” demanded Bavaria’s Family Minister Ulrike Scharf (CSU). She also believes that a higher subsistence level for children is necessary. Baden-Württemberg’s Social Affairs Minister Manne Lucha (Greens) pointed out that there was already a large majority among the states in 2020 for the introduction of basic child security. “That’s why the federal government must finally clear the way for this.”

Nonnemacher called the basic child security a mammoth project. “It is important that the measures reach the children,” she said. We know that a good part of the current services are not used because they are so confusing.” It is about reaching families with hidden poverty.

The youth and family ministers also talk about other issues:

Kitas: With the Kita Quality Act – the successor to the so-called Good Kita Act – the federal government is making around four billion euros available to the federal states in 2023 and 2024. Freiberg said there are still different positions between the federal and state governments. The aim, however, is to find a good common solution soon. Breastfeeding in public: Breastfeeding should be promoted more in public so that there is no discrimination. This is promoted by an application that the state ministers are discussing. Parental allowance: Another application is about better support for low-income families. The aim is also to ensure that more fathers take parental leave. Participation: One of the main motions of the conference aims to strengthen the participation of children and young people in society and politics. “Participation” is also the main theme of the conference.

dpa

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