The federal government and the states are injecting billions of euros into the child‑support advance scheme, but the Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has no clear idea of how many parents could actually make the payments. This was revealed in the ministry’s response to a question from the Green Bundestag caucus, reported by the “Rheinische Post” in its Wednesday edition.
For the fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the ministry reports that it lacks figures on how many non‑paying parents were assessed as financially able by youth welfare offices. As a result, the state bears the cost of defaulting parents without recovering the money from those responsible.
The Greens criticize this data gap. Misbah Khan, deputy chair of the Greens’ parliamentary group, told the “Rheinische Post” that “the state pays billions each year because parents who owe child support avoid their responsibilities. That part is correct. The problem is that the money is rarely recovered in a consistent manner”.
The Association of Single Mothers and Fathers (VAMV) finds the government’s answers overall too vague. In the same interview, chairwoman Daniela Jaspers pointed out that the increase in the child‑support advance announced in the coalition agreement would be a key improvement for single parents. She urged the federal government to commit to reliable financing, saying that the VAMV expects decisive measures to ensure sustained funding.