Family Report 2012 Benefits, Effects, Trends Family Report 2012 Benefits, Effects, Trends Contents I. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 II. Family life in Germany ..................................................................................................................................... 12 2.1 Values and attitudes regarding the family ..................................................................................... 12 2.2 Families in Germany ................................................................................................................................. 14 2.3 Multi-child families ................................................................................................................................... 19 2.4 Step- and blended families ..................................................................................................................... 19 2.5 Births ................................................................................................................................................................ 22 2.6 Childlessness ................................................................................................................................................. 28 2.7 The desire to have children .................................................................................................................... 31 2.8 Marriages ......................................................................................................................................................... 39 2.9 Divorces ............................................................................................................................................................ 40 III. A tableau of government benefits ............................................................................................................... 44 3.1 An overview of the benefits ................................................................................................................... 45 3.2 Differentiation as an advantage .......................................................................................................... 46 3.2.1 Comparison to the previous year .......................................................................................... 47 3.2.2 Trends since 2006 .......................................................................................................................... 48 3.3 F amily benefits enhance the economic situation of families ............................................. 50 3.4 Risk factors for economic stability ..................................................................................................... 51 3.4.1 Economic stability and participation in working life ................................................ 52 3.4.2 Economic stability and family form ................................................................................... 53 3.5 Conclusions for family policy ............................................................................................................... 54 IV. An examination of family benefits ............................................................................................................ 55 4.1 Evidence-based family policy ............................................................................................................... 55 4.2 Intentions and objectives of the overall evaluation .................................................................. 56 4.3 Gaining knowledge step-by-step ........................................................................................................ 57 4.4 Database for the evaluation ................................................................................................................... 57 4.5 Depicting realities and legal relationships ..................................................................................... 57 4.6 Family perspectives ................................................................................................................................... 59 V. Family time policy .............................................................................................................................................. 62 5.1 The eighth family report: Family time policy as an independent field of policy within the context of effective family policy ........................................................... 62 5.2 Organising conflicting schedules: expectations on family policy .................................... 63 5.2.1 Time conflicts in everyday family life ............................................................................... 64 5.2.2 Why parents would like more time and how to provide them relief ................. 65 5.3 Areas where action can be taken on time policy ........................................................................ 66 5.3.1 Increasing families’ time sovereignty through working hour regulations ..... 66 5.3.2 Municipal time policy: promoting better synchronisation of schedules on a local level ................................................................................................................................. 67 5.3.3 Providing better support for families through household-related services ... 68 VI. Family and working life ................................................................................................................................... 70 6.1 Couples’ employment constellations ................................................................................................ 70 6.1.1 Family formation influences women’s employment behaviour, but not men’s ................................................................................................................................... 71 6.1.2 A higher percentage of female employment and the two-fold growth in part-time employment: more modernised employment arrangements .......... 71 6.1.3 Differences in the employment arrangements between East and West Germany: East German couples are more likely to live in an egalitarian employment arrangement than West German couples ................... 72 6.1.4 A h igher educational level of the mother correlates with an employment arrangement based on partnership ........................................................ 74 6.1.5 Higher participation in gainful employment by the mother is dependent upon the distribution of family and household tasks on a partnership basis ....... 75 6.1.6 Actual working hours often do not coincide with working hours: particularly women employed part-time would like to work more ................... 75 6.1.7 The birth of children and role models’ influence the gender-specific distribution of work … ................................................................................................................ 77 6.1.8 … but the relative level of education and income are decisive .............................. 78 6.1.9 Family-related benefits can influence the negotiation process ............................ 78 6.1.10 Double-career couples: pursuing careers together presents couples with special challenges .............................................................................................................. 79 6.1.11 Participation of mothers with migrant backgrounds in employment .............. 80 6.2 Family-friendly working world: what mothers and fathers need ...................................... 80 6.3 Flexible and family-friendly ................................................................................................................. 83 6.4 The company programme “Success Factor Family” .................................................................. 85 6.5 Family formation and higher education ......................................................................................... 88 6.5.1 Students with children in everyday practice .................................................................. 89 6.5.2 Challenges for student parents .............................................................................................. 90 6.5.3 Measures to improve the reconciliation of family and higher education ........ 90 6.6 Family formation and vocational training .................................................................................... 93 VII. Child day care ........................................................................................................................................................ 95 7.1 Childcare for children under three: the demand ........................................................................ 95 7.2 Expansion of childcare for children under three: the Child Day-Care Promotion Act Report + Ten Point programme .......................................................................... 99 7.2.1 Additional expansion .................................................................................................................. 99 7.2.2 The state of expansion ................................................................................................................ 100 7.2.3 Federal Government projects to expand the quality and quantity of childcare for children under three ................................................................................. 106 7.2.4 The Federal Government’s Ten Point Programme .....................................................