As a student or trainee with one or more biological children, you can receive a childcare supplement per child and month in addition to your BAföG or your vocational training allowance (Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe) (BAB) under certain conditions. This amount is a full grant paid as a lump sum. That means you don't have to prove anything or pay anything back (§ 14 b BAföG). If your spouse or partner is also entitled to receive the BAföG childcare supplement and you share a household, you will need to discuss who should receive the money. This is because the state pays the childcare supplement only to the parent with whom the child lives.
Requirements and application
In order to apply for the childcare supplement as a student, you must be able to prove that you are receiving BAföG and that you are actively studying. Also, your child must live in your household and be under 14 years old. Like your BAföG application, you can apply for a childcare supplement at the organisation for student affairs (Studierendenwerk) responsible for you at your university. To do this, you must also fill in form 4 of the application. As a trainee, you submit the application to the employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit) or to the Office for Educational Support (Amt für Ausbildungsförderung) responsible for your school. To be eligible for a childcare allowance, you do not need to prove that you care for your child yourself around the clock. You are also entitled to this money if other people temporarily take care of your child, for example a childminder, relatives or kindergarten teachers.
