The child protection association has warned of an unfair distribution of costs as a result of the reform of maintenance law proposed by Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP).
President Sabine Andresen told the editorial network Germany that she shares the minister’s assessment that maintenance law should be critically reviewed in view of the new realities of family life. “But we are critical of the simple calculation that the more often the child is cared for, the lower the maintenance claim.”
Left-wing family politician sees child welfare at risk
The maintenance serves to secure the child’s material security and is not a payment to the mother for the care effort. “To make it clear: Even if a child spends thirty percent of its time with the other parent, usually the father, the school equipment, the class trip or the new winter jacket is not paid for with it.”
The left-wing family politician Gökay Akbulut was also critical. “Reductions in child support will push more single parents and children into poverty, putting children’s welfare at risk,” she said.
At the weekend, the Minister of Justice announced that he would present key points for a reform of maintenance law “in the next few days”, which should relieve the burden on parents who are also caring for children. This will particularly affect separated families, in which one parent does the main care, but the other parent also contributes 30 or 40 percent. In such cases, the maintenance to be paid by the co-caring parent could be slightly lower in the future.
