Globe Getters

Singaporean homemaker Corrine Schmidt, 32, lives with her professor husband Bertil Schmidt, 41, and son, Johann Tsai Wei, 3, in Mainz, a German town some 30 minutes' drive from Frankfurt. The Schmidts are expecting another child in October.

"We moved to Germany in June last year because Bertil had a decent job offer in Mainz. We also like that it's a less stressful environment for Johann to grow up in, there's good social welfare and decent standards of education at a minimal cost, all the way up to university.

It was difficult at first because Bertil had lived in Singapore for nearly 12 years, so we were both comfortable and it was hard leaving a familiar environment. In addition, we had a young child.
The biggest change is that family support is not readily available, although there is plenty of support from the government. Everyone, even non-Germans, get a monthly child allowance from birth till the child comes of age or starts working, whichever is earlier.

Childcare is almost fully paid for by the government from the time the child is 3, so we only need to pay for diapers and food. Depending on the number of kids, families also get tax rebates."