BSW on families

The BSW calls for a mandatory language test for children from age three. For those with gaps in German, daycare attendance would be compulsory and free. Daycare fees should stay stable or fall and be eliminated in the medium term.

The BSW wants a German test for children from age three. Children with too little German must then go to daycare. Parents pay nothing for that. Later, daycare should be free for everyone.

The compulsory daycare is to offer extra programs for integration and language learning. The platform argues that basic academic and social skills must be built before school starts. It points to more than 300,000 missing daycare places for children under three. It says a quarter of fourth-graders cannot read, write and do math adequately.

The BSW wants to offer all children in daycare centers and schools a free, healthy lunch. This is meant to ease the burden on families and make healthy eating independent of parents' income.

All children should get lunch at daycare and school. The food should be healthy and cost nothing. This helps families with little money. Children should also learn about food and nutrition.

Meals are to be balanced and fresh and, where possible, come from the region. The platform expects this to reduce diet-related deficits among children. The meals are to be tied to a permanent, age-appropriate nutrition education program. There children are to learn, among other things, about growing, storing and preparing food.

The BSW wants the state to treat all children equally in financial terms. The relief from the child tax allowance should be no higher than Kindergeld (child benefit). According to the platform, family policy should focus on low and middle earners.

Parents get money from the state for their children. Rich parents often save more through taxes than others get in child benefit. The BSW wants to change that. Every child should be worth the same to the state.

The platform compares a chief physician with a nurse: both should receive the same amount from the state for their children. Family policy should concentrate on people with low and middle incomes. The BSW sees child poverty as poverty of the parents. In its view, it can only be fought with higher wages and better protection in case of illness and unemployment.

The BSW wants enough daycare and all-day school places everywhere, plus free state-run childcare during school vacations. This is meant to make work and family easier to combine, especially for women and single parents.

The BSW wants more places in daycare and all-day schools. During school vacations, the state should look after children for free. Then parents can go to work more easily. This helps women and single parents most.

Nursery and kindergarten places should be available nationwide and be of good quality. All-day care should include free sports, art and music activities and a school meal. The platform points to at least 75 days a year without classes, which parents can hardly cover with 30 vacation days. Companies are to be held more responsible for providing daycare places and get tax advantages in return. Social work and childcare professions are to be upgraded.