Financial Support for Families in Germany
Introduction
Germany offers a range of services and programmes to support pregnant women and parents with children up to the age of 3, particularly through the “Frühe Hilfen” (Early Help) programmes. These services aim to support families during sensitive phases such as pregnancy, childbirth and the first years of a child’s life.
The support provided includes counselling, health care, and personal guidance from professionals such as midwives and paediatric nurses.
Learn more about the Early Help (Frühe Hilfen) programme in Germany for pregnant mothers and parents, and how these services can promote the well-being of children in the crucial first years of their lives.
Early Help (Frühe Hilfen) includes targeted support for pregnant women and parents through home visits, psychological and social counselling, and child health care.
These services are provided by a network of professionals such as midwives (Hebammen) and family health and paediatric nurses (Familiengesundheits- und Kinderkrankenpflegerinnen).
This network can offer advice on everyday child care, the mental health of mothers, and coping with daily challenges within the family.
Family midwives
Midwives visit the mother at home after the birth and provide medical and psychological support as well as guidance on caring for the baby.
Welcome visits (Willkommensbesuche)
After the birth of a child, families are offered free welcome visits by professionals. During these visits, they receive information about child care, health services and other support options available to the family.
Family and parenting counselling
If a family experiences challenges such as conflicts between partners or difficulties in parenting, they can access psychological and social counselling through specialised centres.
Support centres for crying and sleep problems (Schreiambulanzen)
These centres support families whose children suffer from sleep disorders or cry excessively. Such situations can cause significant stress and exhaustion for parents, and professional help can be crucial.
Both mothers and fathers can benefit from Early Help services.
The aim is to improve the well-being of children and their families, especially in situations that are associated with psychological or social stress.
Support is primarily offered to families who:
experience psychological or social stress,
face health-related or economic difficulties,
live in complex family situations, such as single parents or families with children who have special needs or disabilities.
For these families, tailor-made programmes can be developed to ease their daily burdens and strengthen them in their parenting role.
Early Help for families in Germany is designed to ensure that children grow up in a healthy and happy environment by providing comprehensive support to mothers and fathers.
These programmes are an essential part of the German social welfare system and contribute significantly to improving the quality of life of families and supporting children in the formative early years of their lives.
* The team of authors and editors on this website strives to provide accurate information based on thorough research and consultation of multiple sources. However, errors may occur or some information may not be fully confirmed. Therefore, please treat the information in these articles as an initial point of reference and always contact the relevant authorities to obtain final and officially verified information.
