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Report: Expensive family policies don't work
Published: 3 Feb 13 13:06 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130203-47733.html
Germany’s family policies, with its billions of euros in support programmes, are largely ineffective and in some cases counterproductive, a study commissioned by the German government and reported by Spiegel on Sunday showed.
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The German system of providing significant tax benefits for couples has “little effect” and allowing spouses to be included, at no cost, in the national health insurance plan is “particularly ineffective.”
It said there were some positive effects from Germany’s family policies, but these had “undesired side effects.” The report came out of a research project backed by both the family and finance ministries.
The government was hoping for an overall evaluation of its marriage and family policy support during the current legislative period, but publishing the complete report before the federal elections later this year is seen as unlikely, the magazine wrote.
Researchers tried for the first time to determine the long-term effects of government support policies. It concluded that the actual costs of increasing the children’s support payments “are around double what the nominal direct costs are.”
This happens because women work less, and therefore the government collects less in social security payments. The best return on public investment is for money used to support daycare.
As much as 48 percent of what the state invests in childcare programs gets returned to public coffers, the report said.
The Local/mw
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Your comments about this article:
Just hand every woman in Germany between the ages of 21 and 35 around 1000 Euro a month, period (as long as they have at least one kid). Fire the vast number of managers and offices across the country, and you'd save tens of millions.
Provide daycare but only if the mother or father has a "real" job and therefore requires it.
With absolutely no job security is it a wonder there are less children born apart from those who are lucky to be in a "real" job and not having to rely on agencies and the other low wage jobs to scrap by .
My solution to this problem was au pairs - costs the same as child care and gives a young adult chance to experience another environment safely.
USA's and France's is about 2.00.
In Japan, last year, they sold more adult diapers than baby diapers.
No point arguing anymore about why there as so few babies in Germany and other countries... it's over.
Perhaps we should all re-read "A Brave New World" and prepare accordingly.
(For my part, though I did marry and have 2 kids. Have you guys done your share?)