Dispute over daycare funding: District puts pressure on the court!
The Greifswald State Constitutional Court is examining the lawsuit brought by the Vorpommern-Greifswald district regarding daycare financing. The district criticizes insufficient state participation in accordance with the principle of connectivity.

Dispute over daycare funding: District puts pressure on the court!
The issue of daycare financing is currently the focus of a legal dispute that is being dealt with in the State Constitutional Court in Greifswald. The lawsuit by the Vorpommern-Greifswald district aims to gain clarity about the state's financial obligations. On Thursday, the court examined the admissibility of the constitutional complaint, but without making a decision. The district feels its rights have been violated and filed this complaint in December 2020.
The focus of the dispute is the so-called connectivity principle. This principle states: Anyone who demands services must also pay for them. The district criticizes that the system set out in the Child Day Care Act of 2019 does not sufficiently take the necessary financial conditions for the daycare centers into account. According to those responsible, the complete abolition of parental contributions was seen as a gain, but a certain element of uncertainty remains, as the state's fixed amount was increased to only 54.5 percent of the actual costs. The districts and independent cities are still required to pay their own flat rate, which can quickly become a burden in a critical financial situation.
The financial background of the daycare centers
As can be seen from the analysis legal basis for daycare financing As can be seen, the financial situation of daycare centers in Germany is complex. In 2022, public budgets spent a total of 40.5 billion euros on child day care, with municipalities contributing around 50.7 percent and states 49.3 percent of the total expenditure. In recent years, the demand for daycare places has increased, especially among the youngest children under the age of three. This shows how important solid funding is in early education; After all, the sector employs more people than other youth welfare facilities.
The challenges for daycare centers and independent providers are diverse. It often remains unclear how financial responsibilities are distributed between the state and municipalities. In addition, there are often large differences in the regulations from federal state to federal state. These differences can make it difficult for many providers, especially independent ones, to acquire reliable funding while maintaining the quality of their offerings.
Daycare centers as an economic factor
Loud KITA The contribution of daycare centers to economic development should not be underestimated. With a trade volume of $1 trillion, the tax value of early childhood education has far-reaching economic welfare effects. In addition to directly promoting parents' employment, investments in early childhood education have a positive effect on household finances and social insurance.
An improvement in financial conditions can not only benefit children's development, but also has far-reaching positive effects for society as a whole. Given the increasing demands on daycare centers and the increasing number of childcare places, it will be crucial how this legal dispute turns out and what the final decision of the State Constitutional Court in Greifswald entails.
In summary, it can be said that the financial challenges for daycare centers in Germany should not be underestimated. The debate over daycare financing shows how closely financial responsibility and structural framework conditions are linked. It remains to be seen whether the legal dispute will result in these issues receiving more attention and necessary reforms being initiated.