Family & Childcare

There are a wide range of childcare services in Germany. Once a year most of these facilities offer an Open House day where you can get to know the staff and the facilities. If this is not the case you might consider contacting the facility of your choice and ask for an appointment.

There are the following alternatives for childcare:

Private Day Care (age 0 - start of school)

A private person that is certified to take care of mostly very young children (commonly used before the age of 3 and before the start of Kindergarten). In Garching the association NACHBARSCHAFTSHILFE will assist you in finding a place if available. These day care parents have up to 5 children.

Kinderkrippe (age 0-3)

Please note that if you want to send your child to a Kinderkrippe you might want to register before comig to Germany as places are rare.

Most facilities only take children from up to one year though. If you find a place that takes younger children you might need to apply during pregnancy already.

Kindergarten (age 3-start of school)

In Germany you have a legal claim to send your child to Kindergarten. There are city owned Kitas (which are most often cheaper as they are funded) and private ones.

NOTE: Some Kitas have a HORT included - these are an advantage when your kids enter school and you might need child care after school since they can stay in the facility most likely. Therefore you will not have the trouble of finding a place in a HORT.

HORT: (during primary school)

Schools and other facilties offer Childcare after school. These places are limited and rare and sometimes therefore only available for working parents. You can also send your child to the HORT during school holidays. The children will be supervised during homework and there will be a wide range of activities and an educational program in the afternoon.

Mittagsbetreuung:

Similar to HORT but most of the time only available until 2pm and NOT during school holidays. Homework can be done, but will not be supervised by a facility member.

Childcare in Garching

The Childcare facilities in Garching created a wonderful video that offers an insight to everyday live in the different facilties (only available in German)

In Garching you can register for most of these facilities via the online platform Little Bird. You can register one year prior to the desired start.

Childcare in Munich

In Munich the “Kita Finder” will assist you in finding a facility and apply online.

School Registration

While the primary school (Grundschule) is the same for everyone, there are three types of secondary schools in Bavaria. Depending on the grade point average you can choose on of the three secondary schools. As for the primary school, you will have to send your child to the school that lies within a certain radius to where you live. Later on, you can choose to which secondary school you want to send your children.

Grundschule (primary school)

Primary school starts at age 6 or 7 (depending on your childs birthdate and capabilities). It will go from grade 1 to grade 4. During grade 4, togehter with your childs teacher, you will choose the secondary school your child will attend, which will be one of the following:

Mittelschule

Middle school starts at grade 5 until grade 9 or 10 (depending on kind of graduation). This school is highly practically oriented as it prepares to find an Apprenticeship on the german market after graduation.

Realschule

Realschule goes from grade 5 until 10. It is a intermediate school between the other two secondary schools. After graduation from the Realschule you can continue the educational path by deciding to make your Abitur or Fachabitur.

Gymnasium

Gymnasium runs from grade 5 until 13. After you graduate you will receive the ABITUR (baccalaureate) which qualifies you to enter a german university. This school is highly academically orentiend and requires a lot of learning for the students.

MPQ Working & Living

Please also visit the MPQ webpage “Working and Living” in order to learn more about the help offered by the MPQ to negotiate work and family life.

Additional Useful Information

Funded cloths diapers in Garching

In order to avoid the use of disposable diapers and to support environmentally conscious behavior, the city of Garching is subsidizing the purchase of reusable diapers or the use of a diaper service for Garching citizens. There is no legal entitlement to the subsidy. It should also be noted that the entitlement to the subsidy from the city of Garching does not apply if there is a legal entitlement to cost coverage by third parties.

More Information can be found at Garching.de

Federal child support (Kindergeld)

You are entitled to child benefit if

your child is under 18 years of age,
you regularly care for your child and he or she lives in your household (this also applies to stepchildren, grandchildren, or foster children)
your place of residence is in Germany.

Child care support is (as of 2023), 250,00€/month for each child.

For EU or EEA nationals who have moved to Germany since August 2019, the following requirements apply:

In the first 3 months after your entry, you must earn domestic income. From the fourth month after your entry, the requirements of the Freedom of Movement Act must be met. This applies as soon as

you are self-employed or employed
you are a job-seeker or involuntarily unemployed
the right to freedom of movement can be derived from a family member,
you have sufficient means of subsistence and health insurance coverage
or have acquired a permanent right of residence. You are employed in Germany and subject to social insurance contributions or receive unemployment or sickness benefits. You have a valid settlement or residence permit that allows you to work in Germany

Citizens of other states must meet one of the following requirements:

Be a citizen of one of the following countries: Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Morocco, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia or Turkey.
You are employed in Germany subject to social insurance contributions or receive unemployment or sickness benefits.
You have a valid settlement or residence permit that allows you to work in Germany.
You are a refugee or person entitled to asylum who has been recognized without appeal.

Musikschule

There are Music schools (Musikschulen) in Garching and Munich, where you or your children can learn to play instruments or take vocal lessons with professional teachers. Normally the school year starts in September and there might be waiting lists, but if capacities allow you might be able to start right away.

Federal Employment Agency

This agency will assist you in finding a job or training programs to learn skills that will help you find employment.

Elterngeld (parental allowance)

Parental allowance supports parents, who work less or cease working after their child’s birth to care for him or her. All mothers and fathers are eligible for parental allowance. Depending on your income before your child’s birth, basic parental allowance rates vary between 300 and 1800 euros per month. In most cases, they are 65 percent of the net income.

Foreign parents can also receive parental allowance. The nationality is important here:

If you come from another state of the European Union (EU) or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, then you can generally receive parental allowance in Germany if you live or work here.

Otherwise, it depends on whether you are likely to reside permanently in Germany and are allowed to work here. This means that you can get parental allowance

with a settlement permit
with a permit for permanent residence EU
with an EU Blue Card
with an ICT card or a mobile ICT card
with a residence document GB
with an employment toleration
with a residence permit, if you are allowed to work in Germany for at least 6 months or were allowed to work here earlier.

You can find detailed information about parental allowance at the Website of the BMFSFJ.