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Authority for Labor, Health, Social Affairs, Family and Integration

Support for participation in cultural, social and educational activities for children, adolescents and young adults receiving child benefit

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Detailed description

You can receive financial support through the benefits of the education and participation package. This will help you to participate in school, daycare, childcare and leisure activities as well as meals and transport. The support is aimed at children, teenagers and young adults.

You can receive funding if you are eligible for

  • Child benefit allowance (BKGG) or
  • You cannot cover the necessary needs from your own income and assets or

that of your family.

Funding is possible under certain conditions for the following areas:

  • Excursions and one- and multi-day trips from schools and daycare centers
    Covering the actual costs for participation in excursions and trips lasting one or more days from schools, day care centers or child day care facilities. School trips must take place within the framework of school law regulations. The costs are covered by personalized vouchers, direct payments to the service provider or cash payments.
  • Personal school supplies

Funding for the purchase of personal school supplies, such as writing, arithmetic and drawing materials, sports clothing and school bags. The amount of funding differs between the first and second half of the school year and is adjusted annually. If you do not automatically receive funding for personal school supplies, you must apply for it. This can be the case, for example, for children under 7 years of age or over 15 years of age, as a school certificate may be necessary in these cases. The above regulations also apply to the school supplies package.

Exception: Recipients of child benefit and housing benefit must always apply separately for benefits for education and participation in accordance with Section 9 Paragraph 3 BKGG. This also applies to the school supplies package.

  • School transport

If you are dependent on school transport, you can get the actual costs of attending the nearest school for the chosen course of study reimbursed. The prerequisite for this is that the transport or the costs are not covered by third parties, such as the school authority. The state or local level regulates which distance between the place of residence or the school or institution is relevant and therefore not eligible for funding, as it does not have to be covered by public transport. Depending on the type of school, there may be differences in the relevant distance (e.g. differences between primary school pupils and secondary school pupils).

  • Learning support

Learning support to supplement school lessons in order to achieve learning goals. The prerequisite is that there are no comparable school offers or other support, such as from the youth welfare office. The costs are covered by personalized vouchers, direct payments to the service provider or cash payments.

  • Lunch in daycare and school

If lunch is provided by the daycare center or school and consumed communally, the costs can be covered by personalized vouchers, direct payments to the service provider or cash payments. Lunch within the school must be the responsibility of the school.

  • Participation in social and cultural life

A monthly grant for participation in the social and cultural life of the community. You can currently receive a grant of EUR 15 per month for actual expenses if you are under 18 years of age. This covers the costs of activities in the areas of sport, games, culture and socializing (e.g. membership fees), lessons in artistic subjects (e.g. music lessons), supervised cultural activities (e.g. museum educational offers) and participation in extracurricular leisure activities (e.g. a holiday camp during the school holidays or baby swimming). The extracurricular leisure activities must be organized and supervised by a provider. It is possible to save the grant within the approval period. The saved amount can be used, for example, for a holiday camp or for equipment. Please seek advice from your responsible authority. The costs are covered by personalized vouchers, direct payments to the service provider or cash benefits.

 

Information

Prerequisites

  • You or the affected children, adolescents or young adults:
    • receive the child benefit
    • attend a general or vocational school, a day care facility or child day care
  • Upper age limit for participation benefits for participation in culture, sport and leisure in the community: 18 years
  • Upper age limit for educational benefits: 25 years

Trips:

  • Excursions lasting several days must be within the framework of school regulations.

Personal school supplies

  • Depending on the child's age, a school certificate may be required.

School transport

  • The costs are not fully covered by third parties, such as the school authority. If only part of the travel costs are covered by third parties, only the personal contribution can be reimbursed.
  • The distance between your place of residence and your school or institution is greater than the relevant regulated minimum distance.
  • Under certain circumstances, the nearest institution may also have a special focus, such as a sports or language profile, or it may be a Waldorf school.

extracurricular learning support

  • The school must confirm that you need additional learning support. If there are school-based offers, you must use them as a priority. It does not matter whether your promotion is at risk.
  • Learning support is offered by a suitable provider or a suitable private person.

communal lunch

  • You or your child attend a school, a daycare center, a child day care facility or an after-school care center.
  • Lunch is provided by the institution or is agreed upon through a cooperation agreement with the institution (for example between the school and the day-care center).
  • The food is served and eaten communally.

Documents required

  • Completed application or notification of need (as PDF or in written form)

An application or notification of need for education and participation can be made if certain conditions are met. The exact requirements can vary depending on the country and municipality, as education and participation benefits in Germany are administered by the federal states and local authorities.

In general, the following conditions may apply:

1. Recipients of certain social benefits: As a rule, low-income families are entitled to education and participation benefits. These include, for example, recipients of citizen's allowance, social benefit, housing benefit or child allowance.

2. Children and young people under 18: In most cases, benefits are specifically aimed at children and young people under 18 to ensure that they have equal opportunities for education and participation.

3. Required needs: An application can be submitted if there are certain needs, such as for school trips, school supplies, lunch, learning support, school transport costs or for participation in cultural, sports or leisure activities.

It is important to note that the exact conditions and benefits may vary from state to state. It is therefore advisable to contact the responsible authority or the person responsible for the case to find out about the specific requirements.

  • Notice of receipt of child benefit, proof of income or assets (as PDF or in written form)
  • Depending on the area of funding: invoices, receipts and other evidence (as PDF or in written form)
  • For pupils: school certificate (as PDF or in written form)
  • In case of representation: Power of attorney if the application is submitted on behalf of someone else (as PDF or in writing)

Please note

There are no special features.

Deadlines

Type: Hearing period


Duration: 0 month to 12

Procedure

  • You specify your need for education and participation services at your local authority or via the online portal.
  • You submit the necessary evidence for education and participation benefits to your local authority or via the online portal.
  • The responsible authority checks your needs and calculates your requirements.
  • The responsible authority will decide on your needs and inform you of the result.
  • If your application is approved, you will receive a notice of approval; if it is rejected, you will receive a notice of rejection.
  • In both cases, the notice contains the reasons for the decision. It also contains information about the possibility of appealing against the decision. It also contains information about the deadline within which you can appeal.
  • If your needs are approved, the costs will be covered, depending on the individual case, through personalized vouchers, direct payments to the provider or cash benefits.

Processing time

The processing time depends on the specifics of the individual case. The legal requirement is a processing time of 3 months.

Fees

Free of charge

Legal remedies

Objection, action for annulment


Further information on how to file an objection can be found in the decision on your application.

Legal basis

§ 6b Federal Child Benefit Act (BKGG)
www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bkgg_1996/__6b.html

§§ 28 ff Social Code, Volume II – Basic Security for Job Seekers (SGB II)

www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_2/BJNR295500003.html#BJNR295500003BJNG000902308

Address and contact information

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Last updated: 05.02.2025