Federal and State governments contribute €3.2 billion to support single parent households
In a bid to support single parents and their children, the German government offers financial assistance through the Child Maintenance Advance, also known as Unterhaltsvorschuss. This supplementary payment helps meet child-related expenses, with monthly amounts depending on the child's age, ranging approximately from €230 to €395.
According to the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, the total amount of Child Maintenance Advance paid in 2024 was reported to be around 3.2 billion euros, an increase of approximately 551 million euros compared to the previous year. However, only 17% of this amount could be recovered from the liable parents by the authorities in the same year.
The recovery rate in 2024 has slightly decreased compared to previous years but remains within the average of the years since 2018. The Union and SPD have agreed in their coalition agreement to put more pressure on non-paying parents, with stricter penalties, such as driving license withdrawal, planned for delinquent parents.
The Association of Single Mothers and Fathers believes that a secure independent financing in the federal budget is necessary to ensure the improvement of Child Maintenance Advance does not fail. They consider the partial offset of child benefit, where the child benefit will only be offset against the Child Maintenance Advance by half, not in full, as an "urgently needed improvement" for many single parents.
However, the Association does not consider it realistic to link the reform to an increased recovery rate for Child Maintenance Advance. They argue that a focus on improving the enforcement mechanisms and providing support for single parents should be the priority.
In the future, the child benefit will only be offset against the Child Maintenance Advance by half, not in full, which is seen as a positive step towards supporting single parents. The state can attempt to recover the unpaid Child Maintenance from the delinquent parents, but the recovery rate remains a challenge.
It's worth noting that the federal government covers 40 percent of the costs for Child Maintenance Advance. As of mid-2025, there are no specific search results detailing recent proposed changes in child maintenance policies for non-paying parents in Germany or the reactions of single parents and their associations to such changes.
For context, single parents in Germany already rely on these established child support mechanisms, and the government provides financial help such as Kindergeld (€250 per child/month), Elterngeld (parental allowance), and maintenance advances to compensate when the paying parent defaults.
To assess any new legislative proposals and the responses from single-parent groups, more specialized and updated sources—such as German government press releases or parent advocacy organizations—would be required beyond the provided search data.
[1] German Government Website: Child Maintenance Advance [2] Single Parents Association Website: Child Maintenance Advance
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