Family

SPD

The SPD wants to create 230,000 new spots in kindergartens, crèches and day care centers by 2010. The fees for day care centers will be gradually phased out. The three-year parental (not exclusively intended for the mother) leave will remain untouched -- and will include a job guarantee after and the possibility of part-time work. The SPD has declared that it wants to increase the number of working women to more than 60 percent in keeping with European directives.

CDU/CSU

The Union's party platform talks of a targeted promotion of highly-gifted and talented children and teenagers, but it doesn't outline any concrete plans about how it intends to do that. The bloc has said it wants to introduce a per-child bonus and an additional tax benefit that would encourage people to have more children without suffering financial strain. The party is against the introduction of a state-run "ethics class" and instead want to hold on to a church-led religion class. In addition, it guarantees that employees who take care of a child or need to nurse to a close relative, will have the right to part-time work.

The Greens

The Greens say that children (also those under three years of age) will have a right to a spot in a high-quality day center. The government will participate in the financing of day care centers. The Greens are against the existing form of the "Ehegattensplittung" or a special tax category which benefits married couples. In addition, same-sex couples will be allowed to marry and have the right to adopt children. Even the status of unmarried partnerships will be improved. The party wants to implement a law on genetic testing in order to prevent discrimination on the basis of genetic makeup.

FDP

The FDP wants half-day care for pre-school children above the age of three to be free for parents. It wants to introduce an education coupon or a "per head bonus pay" for kindergartens rather than promote kindergartens at large as a whole entity. The FDP rejects a child bonus concept as suggested by the Union, but is in favor of a tax-free sum of 7,700 euros for every worker, his or her partner and every child.

The Left Party

The newly-formed Left Party wants to increase per child the state allowance from 150 to 250 euros per month without balancing it out against unemployment and social handouts. The party wants free spots in kindergartens for all children -- though without explaining how that would be financed. Every family be guaranteed at least 60 percent of the average family income in Germany, which means that a family with two children will have an income of at least 1,900 euros per month -- again there's no mention of the financing. The party wants to do away with the existing special tax category for married couples.