Germany is known to be quite benevolent in allocating provisions to the parents on the birth of their children. Much to the delight of the latter, a special consideration is meted out to the families under the German constitution or Basic Law (Grundgesetz). The German government provides remittances of EUR 184 per month for each of the first two children, and EUR 190 every month for the third child. It pays EUR 215 per month for every additional child. Foreigners can avail the child benefit allowance (Kindergeld) as soon as they acquire a valid settlement permit.

Lets focus on the following areas which are an integral part of social support in Germany in detail:

• Employment Protection- The German law clearly states that an employer can't dismiss employment during pregnancy and the four months following the birth. However, it is strictly advised that you inform your employer about your pregnancy in advance. Before and after the birth, there is a phase of protected maternity leave referred to as mutterschutzfrist during which you have a right to maternity payments or mutterschutzgeld. Even if an expecting employee doesn't have legal health insurance, still the employer is bound to let you off for any prenatal appointments if they occur during work hours without any financial snag. To know more about the employment protection of working mothers you may refer to the detailed publication of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in English.

• Maternity leave- Pregnant employees have the right to claim maternity leave in Germany, which is a protected period of 14 weeks; six weeks before and eight weeks after the birth of the child. For the six weeks preceding the birth, the employed women receive a statutory maternity pay ( Mutterschaftsgeld) paid jointly by the health insurance company (Krankenkasse)and and the employer ( Arbeitsgeberzuschuss). Privately insured and self employed women can claim maternity leave and employer contribution. In such cases, maternity pay is limited to maximum sum and is paid by the Federal Office for Insurance (Bundesversicherungsamt). Interestingly, the maternity leave was established during the 1920's as a female worker's right and a social obligation to protect the life of unborn and that of newly born.

• Parental leave (Elternzeit)- Since 2007, parents have been able to apply for parental leave as a social provision, and still continue to receive a certain percentage of their total income. The parental leave maybe taken until the child becomes three years old. Parental leave must be filed in writing no later than seven weeks before the beginning of the leave, and has to be taken for at least two months. The parental leave rights are applicable to everyone irrespective of full time or part time employment. It guarantees that your employer is legally obliged to keep your job reserved for you till the period of parental leave. The parental leave can either be taken jointly or by either parent. It allows parents to work part time for up to 30 hours a week without violating the terms of parental leave or employment protection rights.

• Parent allowance (Elterngeld)- On Jan 1, 2007 came into force the new parent allowances law or Elterngeldgesetz. As per this law, parents of children born on or after this date are eligible to receive parent allowance to help them meet the costs of raising their children. All parents are eligible for Elterngeld, if they personally decide to look after their newborn during the first 14 months, and hence, unable to continue their full time job. Elterngeld is paid upto a maximum of 14 months after the birth of the child. Both parents can claim Elterngeld, and can freely divide the Elterngeld among themselves. The amount of money, a parent is entitled to, depends on their average monthly salary of the year preceding the birth of their child. The maximum a parent is permitted to receive is 67% of their monthly income, upto a cap of 1800 Euros irrespective of income. But in certain cases, when the average income is above EUR 1220, it gets reduced to 66% and further 65%, if the average income is over EUR 1240. The minimum Elterngeld is EUR 300, even if the parent was unemployed before the child birth. A parent may work part-time up to 30 hours a week, and still be eligible for Elterngeld. As of July 2015, the Elterngeldplus system has come into action which allows parents to receive half the regular amount of Elterngeld over twice the period, i.e., parents can decide to receive half the regular amount of Elterngeld payment over a maximum of 28 months. The Elterngeldplus system has been introduced for parents who would like to continue working part-time for an extended duration, to take care of their child at home.

• Child allowance (Kindergeld)- To register for the child benefit, you are required to send a copy of the birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) to the Families Office at the Department of Employment (Familienkasse beim Arbeitsamt). Any taxpayer with children can seek Kindergeld whether employed, self employed or unemployed. The child allowance is paid until the child reaches 18 or 21 if unemployed or until 27 if in some educational training. There is no limit set for the differently challenged children who can never financially support themselves. Kindergeld is paid irrespective of the parents' annual earnings. Adopted or Foster children too qualify for Kindergeld. Some people living outside Germany can also file for Kindergeld, if they fulfil certain German income tax criteria. Generally, the Kindergeld is directly paid to the parents, and not the children except for orphans or the children whose parents are missing. If your employment gets suddenly terminated or you choose to leave the country along with your children, you are expected to notify the concerned authority that pays you kindergeld, failure to do so can make you severely penalised.

Thus, we see that in Germany the maintenance of children has become highly regulated, increasingly standardised and legally enforced, to ensure that each child enjoys a healthy upbringing. After all, children are the future of every nation, and as you nurture them now, they will nurture the country back in future. It's all about smart planning for a smarter future.