Child benefit
Parents are entitled to child benefit until their child's 18th birthday if the child lives in Germany, in a Member State of the European Union or in a state to which the Agreement on the European Economic Area applies. If your child is training or studying, the entitlement is extended to a maximum of 25 years. The child benefit is granted on application to the Family Fund of the Employment Agency. Family funds in your area can be found on the Familienwegweiser.de http://www.familien-wegweiser.de/wegweiser/Familie-regional/Kindergeld/kindergeld.html
The child allowance can also be applied for online via the website of the Federal Employment Agency at www.arbeitsagentur.de/familie-und-kinder/kindergeld-online.
Maternity benefit
If you are working, expect maternity from six weeks before the birth and up to eight weeks after the birth maternity. During this time, during which you are not allowed to work, you can apply for the so-called maternity allowance with the medical certificate about the date of birth at your health insurance.
Parental benefits
The parental allowance is a state support for parents who look after their child in the first 14 months after the birth itself and are therefore not or not fully employed. Even parents who did not work before birth receive parental allowance.
The parental allowance must be requested in writing from the competent parental benefits office. It is recommended that the application be submitted to the parental benefit office within the first three months of the child's life. The competent parental benefit office can be found at: "Familie Regional"
Parental Benefit Offices Niedersachsen: https://www.elterngeld.net/elterngeldstellen/niedersachsen.html
Further information about parental allowance can be found on the website Familien-Wegweiser.de http://www.familien-wegweiser.de/wegweiser/Familie-regional/Elterngeld/elterngeld,did=75670.html of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs.
Care benefit
If you look after your little child yourself and you do not use public childcare, you may be entitled to childcare allowance. Care allowance can be obtained for a maximum of 22 months.