The child supplement opens the door to further benefits that many families overlook. Anyone who receives it is automatically entitled to the education package and can be exempted from daycare fees. As of October 2026.
What do education and participation benefits include?
Education and participation benefits are set out in § 6b BKGG together with § 28 SGB II. For children in families receiving the child supplement there are:
- Personal school supplies: 195 € per school year, 130 € for the first half-year and 65 € for the second.
- Shared lunch: at daycare, school, after-school care or childminder, with no own contribution.
- Trips and class trips: day trips and multi-day trips of school and daycare in full.
- School transport: the cost of getting to the nearest school, unless covered otherwise.
- Tutoring: where needed to reach the learning goals, even if the child is not at risk of repeating a year.
- Social and cultural participation: 15 € a month for sports clubs, music school or holiday activities.
What it means in euros
For a schoolchild, several hundred euros a year quickly add up. An example for a primary school child with lunch five days a week:
| Benefit | per year |
|---|---|
| School supplies | 195 € |
| Participation (12 × 15 €) | 180 € |
| Lunch (approx. 190 days × 4 €) | approx. 760 € |
| Class trip and day trips | approx. 150 to 300 € |
| Total | approx. 1,285 to 1,435 € |
Lunch costs vary by school and municipality. What a school year costs overall is shown by the school year cost calculator.
Daycare fees: apply for an exemption
Under § 90 (4) SGB VIII, parents receiving the child supplement or housing benefit are exempt from daycare fees. You apply to the youth welfare office or the body that sets the fees. In many cities that is several hundred euros a month.
Why even a small child supplement pays off
Because these benefits apply from one euro of child supplement, it is worth applying even if the calculator shows only a small amount. For a family with two schoolchildren, education and participation plus the daycare exemption can be worth more than the child supplement itself.
Example: family with two children
A couple with two children (7 and 12) pays 700 € rent incl. service charges and 100 € heating. The father earns 2,300 € gross, 1,720 € net; 1,342 € is countable. The parents' needs are 1,012 € plus 71 % of 800 € = 1,580 €. Because income is below that, they get the full child supplement of 594 € a month, plus child benefit, housing benefit and the education package for both children. Open the example in the calculator.
How to apply for education and participation benefits
- Apply for the child supplement with the family benefits office and wait for the decision.
- With the decision, apply for education and participation benefits at the responsible office of your town or district. Your town hall or the Federal Ministry of Labour's page on the education package tells you which office is responsible.
- For lunch, trips and tutoring the office usually pays the school or provider directly. School supplies are transferred to you.
- Apply for the daycare fee exemption at the youth welfare office.
Children starting university can also apply for the 1,000 € study start grant (Studienstarthilfe) if the family received the child supplement in the month before studies begin.
*Sources: § 6b BKGG; § 28 SGB II; § 90 SGB VIII; child supplement leaflet of the family benefits office, July 2026. As of October 2026.*