Kita places in danger: Parents must fear higher fees!

Kita places in danger: Parents must fear higher fees!

parents in Baden-Württemberg are currently facing the challenge of finding out whether they will receive a childcare place for their children from September 2025. Reports of registrations for the new daycare and kindergarten year have been received from large cities and small communities. Many parents complain that the costs for childcare increase, especially for children under the age of three, which is a significant financial burden for many families. An overview shows that, for example, all-day places for U3 children in Sachsenheim could cost over 860 euros a month. This illustrates the regional differences in parents' contributions, which vary in large cities of free offers in Heilbronn up to over 600 euros in Reutlingen. The SWR reports that in some municipalities a relaxation in the day care center is, especially in those who have invested in the area.

A central problem, however, remains the shortage of skilled workers in childcare. Many municipalities are therefore forced to reduce childcare places, especially for children under the age of three, due to the high costs and the need for staff. This also happens to apply the testing paragraph that enables providers to maintain operation with fewer specialist staff or shorter opening times. In cities such as Tübingen and Mannheim, opening hours have already been shortened to offer more places.

the shortage of skilled workers and its consequences

In the West German federal states, the shortage of skilled workers could be between 20,400 and 72,500 specialists in the next five years, depending on various scenarios regarding personnel requirements and new new ones. This situation leads to a gap between open positions and qualified specialists, which affects the number of childcare places. All over Germany, it is forecast that around 199,000 educators will be missing by 2030. The Bildungserver emphasizes that the quality of daycare centers varies greatly and not all care places meet the right to childcare.

In order to meet this alarming situation, the Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) presented an overall strategy for the acquisition of skilled workers. On May 21, 2024, Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus and Sascha Karolin Aulepp in Berlin presented a bundle of measures that comprises around 50 recommendations to improve the situation for children, parents and pedagogical specialists. The proposals include retraining funding, compensated practice-integrated training models and flexible training and further education methods. This strategy recognizes the shortage of skilled workers as a risk factor for early childhood education and the compatibility of family and work and could help make over 800,000 people available to the labor market.

investments and support

The challenges in childcare mean that municipalities demand stronger co -financing by the federal and state governments. Ludwigsburg even plans to take legal action due to insufficient grants for childcare. In this context, the state government supports municipalities with 925.6 million euros annually in order to bear the costs of the kindergarten loads. In addition, the federal government plans to provide around 4 billion euros in the context of the KITA's quality law in 2023 and 2024 to improve the quality and staffing in daycare centers.

parents can also contact the youth welfare office in order to check possible financial relief. The discussion about the quality of the care and the challenges of the shortage of skilled workers remains present. Some daycare centers are already using creative solutions, such as cooperation with music educators, to improve the personnel situation and to meet the needs of children.