Parents are obliged to provide for the maintenance of their children. If you are raising your child alone, the other parent must pay child support. As a mother, you are already entitled to maintenance during maternity leave, as a father immediately after the birth of the child. If the other parent does not fulfill his or her obligation, the Youth Welfare Office can give you legal advice and offer further support.

You will discuss which measures need to be initiated together with the Youth Welfare Office in a personal meeting. The Youth Welfare Office will then help you formulate letters, determine the amount of child support payments or initiate a garnishment if necessary.

Guardianship

You can also set up a guardianship for your child at the Jugendamt. A guardianship is a special form of legal representation for children and young people. The Youth Welfare Office can then legally represent the child in the relevant proceedings and thus relieve you. For example, it can

• request the father to acknowledge paternity and take the necessary documents,
• arrange for the judicial clarification of paternity,
• calculate your child's maintenance entitlement
• periodically review the child support claim
• record a deed of support,
• enforce the child support claim in court
• collect and control the alimony payments
• determine the whereabouts and employer of the parent obligated to pay child support, and
• Initiate enforcement actions.

You can apply for guardianship before the child is born if you are not married and have not made joint declarations of custody. After the birth, you can apply for guardianship at any time until the child reaches the age of majority. Your right of custody will not be restricted by this.

Terminating the guardianship

You can terminate the guardianship at any time by submitting a written declaration. It ends automatically when the child reaches the age of majority. He or she can then seek advice and support from the Youth Welfare Office until his or her 21st birthday.