S1 E04 I Sari | Parenting between the cultures: Elterngeld & kita application as unmarried parent

In this episode, we sat down with Sari Torbiörnsson. She is a music supervisor from Sweden, raising her daughter in Berlin with her partner from Croatia. Neither of them is German. Neither of them is married to the other. And both of them had to learn Germany's parenting bureaucracy from scratch starting with: Vaterschaftsanerkennung (paternity acknowledgment), before they even got to Elterngeld, Elternzeit, and the Kita application process.In this episode, Sari shares her honest, unfiltered experience of:• Vaterschaftsanerkennung as an unmarried couple: what it is, why it matters, and why doing it before birth saves months of stress• Elterngeld and Elternzeit: missed deadlines, delayed payments, and navigating a system that communicates only by post• The Kita application process and getting a Kitagutschein in Berlin, and why timing your Jugendamt application early matters• What actually helped: family centers (Familienzentrum), midwife (Hebamme) support, and the community of fellow international parents in Berlin• Her honest "Oops" moment as a new parentIf you're an immigrant or expat parent in Germany navigating pregnancy, birth, or early parenthood without family nearby, this episode is for you. You are not the only one.----------------------------------------------------------------------Oops Parents is a videocast and content series for international parents navigating pregnancy and parenthood in Germany. Honest, practical, and a little chaotic in the best way.Join our newsletter: www.oopsparents.comInstagram: @oopsparentsTikTok: @oopsparentsApple Podcasts: @oopsparents