Kitas in Berlin in crisis mode: Where did the children stay?

Kitas in Berlin in crisis mode: Where did the children stay?

Berlin, Deutschland - in Berlin the hour of daycare owners and educators-but not for the right reasons. The daycare landscape is faced with a huge challenge, because the places occupied significantly. At the beginning of 2025, 1,348 places were less occupied in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district than two years ago. This corresponds to a decline of 10.1%, while Pankow also recorded 7% and middle with 5.4%. You don't have to be a prophet to understand: here is something.

it does not remain with the numbers. Smaller kindergartens are forced to close their doors, but the picture is a little different for the city daycare centers. They also have to deal with financial difficulties - but a closure is not in the room. The "Kita-Kollaps" campaign alliance is already mobilizing and demonstrates against the defects that are available in the field of childcare. Instead of new perspectives, the focus is on the educators, who often switch from furnishings to furnishings to maintain operation.

The numbers speak plain text

Roland Kern from the umbrella organization for children's and school shops attributes the falling demand primarily to rising rents and a decline in births. Between 2021 and 2023 there were over 5,000 fewer births in the capital - a trend that is also evident in other parts of the city. The registrations in Pankow decrease, especially in Karow there is no more space on waiting lists. The wedding, on the other hand, unchanged high demand for daycare places.

• decline in occupancy in some districts:
• Friedrichshain -Kreuzberg: -10.1%
• pankow: -7%
• center: -5.4%
• Spandau: Highest occupancy with 92.7%

The Kita Bambini-Oasis has special problems in Prenzlauer Berg, which is fighting 50 free places. The income is falling and the instructors had to use reserves to finance the takeover of freshly trained educators. Of the approximately 60 new specialists, however, only a third can get a contract.

The shortage of skilled workers remains an urgent problem

Despite the high number of available skilled workers-97% of those necessary-there is a gap of 2,360 places between available and approved daycare places. According to a survey, a significant proportion of unused places is directly related to the lack of personnel, which only tightens the situation. A personnel-child relationship of 5.86 children per specialist is also not very encouraging.

The question that many concerns: How can the problem of staffing be solved? According to experts, a rethinking process and a re-evaluation of the Person-Kind key are needed here. Some daycare centers were already considering taking up children from other Berlin districts, while parents now have more freedom of choice in the selection of daycare, but this affects the income situation of many carriers.

The situation is confusing and the effects are diverse. Rising sick leave since Corona pandemic and the desire for part-time work increases the pressure on the daycare centers. Real relaxation is only to be expected when the personal child relation is re-evaluated. This condition is not only annoying; He could also have far -reaching consequences for the training of educators and the quality of the care in the daycare centers.

André Borgmann from Pfefferwerk Stadtkultur gGmbH recognizes different developments in the districts and demands increased cooperation among the providers. The future of daycare centers in Berlin requires creative solutions and a better hand in dealing with the existing infrastructure and the specialist staff to meet the challenges.

The situation remains tense, and everyone involved is required so that the daycare centers can not only make ends meet, but also offer space for the children of tomorrow. Not everything is lost yet, but time to act is now.

For more information, see also Tagesschau , rbb24 and daycare voice .