Kindergeld (child benefit)
Kindergeld for a foster child
You can apply for Kindergeld for a foster child if it lives permanently in your household and you look after it like a child of your own.
There is a sheet of its own for that: the declaration for a foster child (KG 12a).
If several foster children live with you, a separate sheet arises for each of them.
What the declaration says
Since when the child has lived with you, how long it is to stay, whether there is a foster care permit and whether the birth parents are known. If you know nothing about the parents, there is a field for that — you do not have to invent anything.
The difference from adoption
An adopted child is legally your child; for that you do not need this declaration. It applies to children who live with you permanently without the relationship having been established in law.
What that costs
The price depends on how many children you are applying for Kindergeld for. The sample calculations are on the page about Kindergeld (child benefit).