Also the majority of German primary schools are half-day only. The study is based on the assumption that universal full-time childcare for lone parents with children up to 13 years is being created (one-off costs, e.g. for building facilities, are ignored), with lone parents incurring around 11% of the gross operating costs for pre-primary' care. Schools offering after-school services are assumed to be free for lone parents, although some public schools charge for these services.