Kitas on Rügen: Too many places for fewer and fewer children!

Kitas on Rügen: Too many places for fewer and fewer children!

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a worrying trend is emerging: While the space predominates in the daycare centers on the island of Rügen, the demand for childcare places has decreased. The Auen vertebrae in Sagard, which has been located in new, generous premises since January 2024, has an area of impressive 1,630 square meters with many movement offers, but it does not offer any additional space for the requested places. The daycare center is located in a comfortable location with 126 available places, but still does not record a plus of children who have to be looked after. This becomes particularly clear when you look at the birth rate in recent years. According to a report by the Ostsee-Zeitung, 2023 were only rounded in Mecklenburg 9,670 children born, a decline of 10.6 percent compared to the previous year.

Not only the birth returns are alarming, the childcare situation in the daycare centers also suffers. The decline in the number of children cared for is a novelty that has been observed for the first time in over 20 years. On March 1, 2024, according to the [Nordkurier] (https://www.nordkurier.de/regional/Mecklenburg-Vorpommern/gegeburtenknick-erreicht-kitas-weniger-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Kinder-Betreut-3138015 corresponds.

challenges for the daycare centers

The challenges should not be underestimated. The Auen vertebrae daycare is experiencing an increase in children with developmental delays, linguistic deficits and motor abnormalities. In order to meet these needs, funding programs for the supervisors are more in demand than ever. The daycare manager, Carina Lipp, therefore demands a better care key to meet the individual needs of the children.

The information from the Nordkurier illustrate that an examination of the merging of small facilities in many places is due, particularly in structural weak rural areas. The goal is to increase the quality of the care, which is required, among other things, by the Bertelsmann Foundation. The foundation recommends using the decline in the number of children to sustainably improve the quality of education.

HR key in criticism

An important aspect in the discussion about daycare centers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the personnel key, which, according to an article by Katapult MV, is the worst across Germany. Here, 13 over three year olds and 6 under three year olds come to a specialist. This leads to larger groups that severely restrict the individual care and promotion of children. The shortage of skilled workers is another big topic, because the specialist child relation to MV is an immense challenge for the educators.

The Union Education and Science (GEW), according to the same source, is in favor of reducing the groups and keeping qualified staff in the long term. The GEW state chairman Ulrike von Malottki emphasizes that, in particular, disadvantaged children suffer from the conditions that arise from a high personnel key. Dirk Heidrich, an experienced daily father, confirms this problem and sees the need to perform individual care, which is often pushed into the background by basic tasks.

While the Auen vortex daycare vertebrae is certainly progress for the region, the question remains how future challenges can be managed in early childhood care. Parents are advised to take care of a daycare center at an early stage, since the demand, at least in some regions, remains high. So it remains exciting how the situation will develop in the coming years and whether the necessary resources can be mobilized for better support for children.