“poor” children/child poverty in germany background information, data and current approaches...

“Poor” Children/Child Poverty in GermanyBackground Information, Data and Current Approaches Concerning Combating Child

Poverty

Caritas im Erzbistum KölnNr. 2

1.Preliminary Remarks

2.Figure

3.Consequences of Poverty

4.What currently has been done


Introductory Remarks

Children are poor, because their parents are poor. Child poverty is conditioned by the poverty of parents

Poor parents = poor children = poor parents?

Households that struggle with income poverty are not homogenously:

- Single parent households

- Households with two parental units

- Households with alternating parental units

- Households with low income, despite a full-time job

- Households with good education and large debts

- Households with minor education and long-term unemployment

- ........


- 11.5 million people (about 14 per cent) of the population live below poverty line (In comparison:

Europe = 80 million, which is about 16 per cent of the entire population).

- This especially affects households with children and young adults

- Single parents with children up to the age of three are affected by a poverty risk which is

above average

- Households concerning persons with immigrant background

- Germany:

- 18 and below: 18.4%

- 18 – below 25: 22.4%

- North Rhine-Westphalia:

- Below 16: 25.4%

- 16 up to 25: 22.4%

- Cities:

- Berlin below 15: 36%

- Cologne below 15: 24%

- The number even increases in certain social environments up to more than 50%

Figures Concerning Child Poverty


In order to calculate the risk of income poverty, the EU has determined a poverty of 60% of the median of the needs regarding the available household income. People which have less than 60% of the median income at hand are, concerning this concept, declared as poor.

The median of the nominal net income of households depending on needs amounted to 18 500€, or 1542€ per month, in 2008.

Calculated concerning households:

- Household of one person 925€

- Couple without children 1388€

- Couple with one child 1665€

- Couple with two children 1943€

- Couple with three children 2220€

- Single parent with one child 1203€

- Single parent with two children 1480€




Single

Single Parent

Person with an underage partner

Partner of legal age

Children from 15 -25

Children from 7-14

Children until 6 years of age

100 % 90 % 80 % 70 % 60 %

359 Euro 323 Euro 287 Euro 251 Euro 215 Euro

Regelsätze


Insights


Affected Persons experience:

Allegations and assumptions such as: freeloader, layabout, drunkard, bad/lousy parents, irresponsible, do not want to work etc.

Rejection concerning banks, employers and house hunting

“Arbitrariness” from authorities and institutions, for example concerning appropriateness of flats, basic equipments or schools trips of children

Attitudes which suggest that they do not deserve anything and even have to claim one’s due

The feeling persists that one gets nowhere although the person has a job

Nobody listens to them

That more is demanded from them than of the one’s being labelled as ‘hardworking’

That they are not welcome

Insights


What Has Currently Been Done?

At federal level: recalculation of the standard rate regarding the decision of the Federal Constitutional Law (9.2.2010)

- Education packages and participation packages of 250€ per year, whereof 120€ will be

handed out as vouchers

- A package for children starting school of 100€

- grants of 30€ for school trips

- Grant to lunch in all days facilities which costs two € per lunch

At state level:

- Round table concerning the support for children in need

Local authority:

- Networks

- Education passports


What is being done?

Caritas undertakes different projects and calls for the political implementation of children’s rights

- Early backings

- The connecting and ensuring of education qualities concerning youths and schools

- Expanding and reinforcing family centres

- Destroying barriers of education for children of low-income families

- Enhancing the quality of day care institutions

- Appointing of a children’s representative of the state government and a children’s commission of the

Landtag

- An ombudsman’s office for young people and their families

- The enshrining of children’s rights in the ‘Basic Law’

- The children and youth’s report of the State Government should be written with the help of organisations

and academics

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