Die Bündelung familienbezogener Leistungen bei einem Parafiskus: eine Zusammenfassung bisheriger Überlegungen und eine Einordnung in die aktuelle Debatte

Abstract

In Germany, support for families includes diverse types of financial and material aid. These different programs are not aligned and coordinated, but rather stand alone alongside each other and are far from being transparent. This article argues that this situation could be remedied by grouping the various family-related support measures within a single family support agency as a parafiscal institution. Here we summarize the basic advantages and disadvantages of parafiscal institutions and evaluate them in the context of family-related support measures. Then we examine the aspect of self-administration, which has taken a prominent role in the debate on parafiscal institutions. The paper concludes by outlining further parameters for the design, financing, and range of services that could be offered by a family parafiscus. However, a detailed discussion of the services offered by a family parafiscus would require systematic evaluation of the overall system. In the medium term, there is substantial evidence that efforts should begin to integrate the family-related support measures provided by the social insurance system with other support measures provided by the federal government in a single family support agency.