Finding out that I was expecting was one of the most exciting-anxiously-driven moments of my life. After taking a pregnancy test, my husband and I eagerly awaited the results. Time stood still in this moment and every minute felt like an eternity. While waiting, I had a plethora of questions running through my mind.

How will we navigate this next chapter of our lives?
Are we prepared for this journey to become parents?
Can we financially support our growing family?

Questions that, sometimes are never easy to answer and do not always require a yes or no answer.

After watching those two small lines light up in blue, I knew life as we knew it would never be the same. We were in a state of pure bliss and even now, I can recall this moment so vividly. It is a moment I will never forget.

After getting over the initial shock and high of finding out we were expecting our first child, my mind went into full planning mode. A to-do list started to slowly form in my head and later, I brought it to life on paper. As I wrote down a “plan” for preparing to have our first child abroad, I returned back to my original questions:

How will we navigate this next chapter of our lives?
Are we prepared for this journey to become parents?
Can we financially support our growing family?

The first two questions I could not really formulate an answer to – even now, I still reflect on these along my parenting journey. However, the part about being “financially prepared” was one that really stuck with me. I had some concerns about how we were going to navigate this. Since I did not know what things I needed to buy for a baby or what benefits were available for foreign families living abroad in Germany, I was concerned that we needed to have x-amount of money saved before the baby arrived.

Through a lot of research and connecting with other parents, I was relieved to learn that Germany offers a good amount of financial support to families – including foreigners. Here is my understanding of the 3 major financial benefits available to families living abroad in Germany:

Maternity Allowance (das Mutterschaftsgeld)

This maternity allowance is covered by German health insurance. Financial support is provided to pregnant women 6 weeks before birth and 8 weeks after birth, considered part of the official maternity leave time. You can work with your health insurance provider in order to complete the application and apply. The exact coverage dates are calculated based on your expected delivery date and total amount received is calculated on a case by case basis. For working mothers, they typically calculate the net amount of your last 3 paychecks and for stay-at-home mothers, they calculate it based on the amount received from unemployment benefits. You can start this process as early as 7 weeks before the expected delivery date and you can contact your Gynecologist and health insurance provider to learn more about the process to apply.

Parental Allowance (das Elterngeld)

Both parents are eligible to receive Parental Allowance and there are 3 types (Basic Parental Allowance, Parental Allowance Plus, and Partnership Bonus). You can receive the Basic Parental Allowanceanywhere between 2-12 months if one parent takes time off. Otherwise, you can split up to 14 months between both parents (additional time is also given if your child was born prematurely or you are a single parent). The amount you receive each month can vary between 300-1800 euros). However, usually, it depends on your income before your child was born and usually amounts to 65% of your net income. There are other factors that affect the amount you receive such as, if you have twins or other small children, if you work part-time or if you had no income before your child was born. With Parental Allowance Plus, you can remain at home for up to two years and receive half the amount each month that you would receive with Basic Parental Allowance. Monthly allowance can range between 150-900 euros and ideal for parents who typically work part-time as they may end up receiving g about the same monthly income as they would otherwise if working. Lastly, with the Partnership Bonus, you can combine Basic Parental Allowance and Parental Allowance Plus. This allows for maximum flexibility for parents who want to split their time at home and at work evenly. You can easily alternate freely between the two options (Basic or Plus Parental Allowance). More info can be found on Familienportal.

Child Allowance (das Kindergeld)

Every family receives a Child Allowance of 250 euros per month/per child, typically up to the age of 18 (or longer in some cases). Parents have to submit an application via the Family Benefits Office (die Familienkasse). More info can be found on Familienportal.

To answer my third question above, being financially “prepared” has different meanings to different families. It is a question that requires open and honest dialogue (with yourself if you are a single parent or with your partner). Now as a new parent I have realized that, sometimes you are never fully prepared for this experience in the way you might have once envisioned it. Of course, there are things you can do to prepare based on you and your families needs. However, I am so relieved to live in Germany where there is some financial support available to help foreign families like mine.