Family Minister Spiegel announces new benefits for parents

Created: 12/20/2021, 13:52

From: Lukas Zigo

Family Minister Anne Spiegel (Greens) wants parents to be able to stay with the family for two weeks after the birth with a full salary.

Düsseldorf - Less than two weeks after she was sworn in as Federal Minister for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth, Anne Spiegel (Greens *) has already announced new benefits for parents.

"We will be introducing the new option that one parent - mostly the fathers - can stay with the family for the first two weeks after the birth with a full salary," said Anne Spiegel of the Rheinische Post in Düsseldorf on Monday (December 20, 2021).

Up until now, parents would have had to save days together over long periods of time, often laboriously.

According to the new Federal Minister for Family Affairs, more months of parental allowance should be made possible for couples who want to split up parental leave than before.

"We want to give more support when couples see childcare as an equal task," she said.

Spiegel announces relief for family carers: "Create performance like parental allowance"

In addition, Spiegel announced relief for family carers.

“We also want to enable people who care for relatives to take a professional break through family care leave,” said the Family Minister.

"For this we want to create similar benefits as the parental allowance," said the Green politician.

Anne Spiegel (Greens), the new family minister, takes her oath of office in the Bundestag.

© Kay Nietfeld / dpa

Above all, the minister sees the children hard hit by the effects of the corona pandemic and would therefore like to take countermeasures.

“The Federal Ministry of Family Affairs has already put together a corona catch-up package worth one billion euros so that children can experience more sport, culture and leisure time again.

But I am open to the fact that there will also be further recognition for the solidarity of the children in the pandemic.

For example in the form of a zoo voucher or something similar, ”said the new minister of the Rheinische Post.

Approaches to compulsory child vaccination - Spiegel: Discuss "not on the back of children"

The family minister was angry about attempts to make child vaccination compulsory and sees the problem being addressed in the wrong place. “What annoys me are hasty attempts to make child vaccination compulsory. Children show a lot of understanding and solidarity. They are not the drivers of the pandemic, "said Spiegel. Unvaccinated adults are what bring the hospitals to their capacity limits. "There is nothing wrong with that," said the Green politician.

She got the impression that anti-vaccination campaigners are also becoming more radical towards children.

“I've heard several times that children were harassed on the way to school because they were wearing their masks.

During a vaccination campaign at a high school in my hometown, the police had to offer protection because anti-vaccination campaigners protested against it on the spot.

Such pressure on children and their families is absolutely unacceptable, "said Spiegel.

(lz with epd / KNA)