ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the attitudes and expectations of parents in the countries studied with respect to family policy. It deals with the attitudes and experiences with respect to parental leave allowance/parental leave, and on the other hand with the broader spectrum of family policy measures. Sweden offered compensation for the loss of income of 90% of the salary, limited to one year. In the last six months of the parental leave only a minimum rate was paid which was not linked to the salary. In West Germany the study was conducted in 1991, i.e. shortly before the introduction of the three-year parental leave in January 1992, and in East Germany in spring 1992. The widespread criticism of the parental leave allowance, however, by no means automatically implies that families were unable or unwilling to utilize parental leave for financial reasons.
