I believe there is a sibling discount, right? At least in some places.
In Lower Saxony, it was free from age 3 (except for the meal fee), and here in the Rhineland, I think it’s even free from age 2.
Yes, in Lower Saxony, from the month the child turns 3, no more daycare fees are required. Then we celebrate with a bottle of sparkling wine. :)
Exemption for the second child only applies if both children are under 3 and in care; otherwise, only the meal fee for the second child is waived. So currently, we pay about 380 euros for the 2-year-old but no meal fee since she is the second child, and for the older child in kindergarten, we pay 35 euros meal fee.
But this is different in every federal state...