Working guardians are entitled to compensation for loss of earnings if schools or daycare centers are closed due to infection and they provide care for their child or children themselves. Children must not have reached the age of 12. This age restriction does not apply to disabled children. The entitlement also applies to foster children.

Compensation depends on your earnings.

Compensation is paid for a maximum of 6 weeks of closure. It amounts to 67% of your net earnings, for a full month a maximum of 2,016 euros.

If the facility would close for vacations anyway, this regulation does not apply in principle.

If you have concluded a care contract with an after-school care facility, you are also entitled to compensation during school vacations.

Before you receive this compensation, you must exhaust all other reasonable care options. These are, for example, childcare by family members or friends, home office, reduction of time credits or vacation.

Care provided by so-called "at-risk" groups should be avoided. These include, in particular, older persons or persons with pre-existing conditions.

There is no entitlement to compensation in the case of short-time work.

The following applies to employees

Your employer will pay you compensation for the duration of the closure period, for a maximum of 6 weeks. The employer will be reimbursed for the amounts paid out by the competent authority.

Therefore, inform your employer immediately about your childcare situation so that he/she can apply for compensation. If your employer or employeress (especially smaller companies) cannot make advance payments, advances in the anticipated amount of the reimbursement can be applied for.

In exceptional cases, you can submit the application for compensation yourself.

For employers:

You must pay compensation to your employees for the duration of the closure period, for a maximum of 6 weeks (advance payment). You can have the amounts paid reimbursed by the competent authority.

You can also be reimbursed for pension, nursing care and health insurance contributions.

You can also apply for an advance payment.

For self-employed persons:

You will receive reimbursement directly from the competent authority.

To calculate the loss of earnings, your last annual profit is taken into account. This is divided by 12.

Contributions to pension, nursing care and health insurance can also be reimbursed.

You can also apply for an advance payment.

The following applies to homeworkers:

Unlike for the self-employed, your average monthly income is taken into account for the calculation.