PhD Handbook

21 maternity benefit (“Mutterschaftsgeld”) from the health insu- rance and your employer. This is comparable to your salary and is calculated on what you earned during the last months. Afterwards the “Elterngeld”-regulations will come into effect. The “Elterngeld” is meant as a support mechanism for women and men who want to spend time with children right after the maternity protection time. During this time, which can be up to 14 months (when each parent takes between two to twelve months of work, or for single parents), the state will support you by paying you between 65% and 67% of your former income, if it exceeded 1000€. This will be at least 300€ (e.g. stipend holders) and can be as high as 1800€. If you earn less than 1000€ the percentage paid by the state will rise accor- ding to you salary to allow you to cover your basic living expenses. If you already have a child below the age of 3 living in your household, the Elterngeld percentage will also increase by 10%. It is also possible to work part time up to 30h/week and receive Elterngeld for the hours you are staying at home. If you are planning to stay home with you baby for longer than 12 month or at the same time as your partner and receive Elterngeld, it is possible to do so. The Elterngeld, however, will be reduced or adjusted depending on the deficit in income and the duration of your parental leave. Note: Unfortunately, scholarship holders will not get the full amount of Elterngeld but only the minimum amount of €300/ month for the first 12 (14) months after giving birth. Further information: The ministry for family affairs (“Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend” (BMFSFJ)) has a well-developed website (www. bmfsfj.de) and many leaflets concerning family life, pregnancy and motherhood. Answers for key word search and questions from A-Z are nicely processed under www.familien-wegweiser.de. For every question or problem concerning family life and partnerships you can contact state independent organizations, which also offer special consulting services to foreigners, for example: • profamilia (www.profamilia.de) • Bundeskonferenz für Erziehungsberatung e.V. (www.bke.de) • Diakonie (www.diakonie.de)

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