Child sickness benefit: Politicians are calling for more support for parents

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Last Tuesday the time had come: the teachers at a Frankfurt kindergarten received their first corona vaccination.

At last.

But at first that did not bring the hoped-for relief.

On the contrary: on Wednesday the day care center only opened to a limited extent, on Thursday and Friday two groups were completely closed.

Because of side effects, so many caregivers called in sick that it was impossible to operate.

So the offspring stays at home - once again.

Since the outbreak of the corona pandemic, kindergartens and primary schools have repeatedly closed or entire classes and groups have been quarantined.

Working parents have always found themselves in an almost insoluble conflict.

Because at least with smaller children it is hardly possible for them to work on the side.

Politicians have provided some special regulations for these cases.

Due to the uncertain care situation for the time being, it is unclear whether these will be sufficient.

Politicians are therefore calling for improvements to be made.

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These days, more and more teachers and educators are receiving the Covid-19 vaccination.

What will ease the situation significantly in the medium term, however, often exacerbates it initially.

Almost a quarter of all employees are absent due to flu symptoms for a few days after they have been given the AstraZeneca vaccine, reports Norbert Smetak, deputy chairman of the medical association MEDI Baden-Württemberg.

Many stayed at home out of caution.

The Education and Science Union (GEW) has registered a significant increase in absenteeism at daycare centers and schools.

To minimize the consequences, the German Association of General Practitioners recommends not vaccinating all employees in a school or daycare center at once.

However, it can hardly be avoided that some kindergartens and schools have to close temporarily due to infections in children despite vaccinated staff.

In addition, there is the shortage of skilled workers and the strict hygiene regulations, which prohibit a mix of groups and thus reduce the range of care.

That is why the parents are often asked to act as carers.

AOK and TK report increased demand

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In order to relieve them and to regulate such cases reliably, politicians expanded the rights of parents last year: As a rule, those with statutory health insurance can stay at home ten days a year if they have to look after sick children.

During this time you will receive child sickness benefit from your insurance company.

This year they are entitled to 20 days without a child having to be sick.

Single parents can stay at home for 40 days.

The increased demand is already noticeable among health insurers.

The Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) reports that in January the number of calls to children's sickness benefits was over 30,000 - in December 2020, only 4,500 callers turned to TK with questions about children's sickness benefits.

This corresponds to an increase of more than 500 percent.

Figures available to WELT AM SONNTAG show that spending on child sickness benefits has increased significantly.

In February 2021, the eleven AOKs in Germany paid out 23.28 million euros - around 57 percent more than in the previous year.

Source: WORLD infographic

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The increased expenses can be an indication that the previous special rules are not enough.

"In view of the increasing number of infections and more contagious virus mutations, it is foreseeable that the additional days of childhood illnesses previously planned will not be sufficient for many families," says the deputy chairman of the Green parliamentary group, Maria Klein-Schmeink.

As there will be closures all over the country, the range of support must be expanded, says the FDP health politician Katrin Helling-Plahr: "Many families have long since used up the additional days of childhood illness."

In addition, this regulation still only applies to parents with statutory health insurance.

Many self-employed, for example, are left out.

Helling-Plahr therefore demands that the Union and the SPD "create an adequate standard for all parents who look after their children due to the pandemic".

Anja Piel, member of the board of directors of the German Trade Union Federation, supports the demand for an expansion of the Child Disease Days and sees Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) as an obligation: “The funds for this, which are advanced from the contributions of those with statutory health insurance, must be paid to the health insurance companies from the tax pots flow back.

That is a promise that has not yet been kept. "