City plans to close daycare centers: Is the bouncy castle” about to end?

City plans to close daycare centers: Is the bouncy castle” about to end?

In Ebersbach-Neugersdorf, a small but lively town in Saxony, there is a huge boom in day care. The city administration is considering closing two daycare centers, the “bouncy castle” under the direction of Silvana Havel and the Awo daycare center “Spreequellspatzen”. The motives? Financial bottlenecks and a dramatic decline in the number of children. As [Sächsische.de](https://www.saechsische.de/lokales/goerlitz-lk/neugersdorf-stadt-will-kita-close-fuer-operatorin- stands-existenz-auf-spiel-SBNOV5UFMVGDLG2O4BE7SZHHHI.html?outputType=valid_amp) reports, the closures are imminent, as over 100 have occurred within just two years Daycare places remained unused.

Silvana Havel felt the full extent of the situation in March 2023 when she was surprisingly informed about the closure plans. According to Mayor Steffen Ain, who is non-partisan, the city plans to close at the end of 2026 or possibly until summer 2027. A working group will keep an eye on future demand for care places until the end of 2025, but the uncertainty weighs heavily on the shoulders of those affected.

Falling birth rates and unused places

Last year only 38 newborns were counted in Ebersbach-Neugersdorf, compared to 60 the previous year. Forecasts show that the Görlitz district could soon struggle with an oversupply of daycare places. The city council has already decided to close the two daycare centers because they can attract fewer and fewer children. Other cities in Saxony are also faced with similar challenges. In Chemnitz, for example, around 1,000 places will soon be unused, while daycare centers in Dresden are being eliminated because demand has fallen rapidly nd-aktuell.de.

“The bouncy castle”, which only opened 22 years ago due to a lack of space at the time, was long considered a popular childcare facility. But Havel pointed out that the city used misleading information to justify the closures, and she herself was never interested in closing them. The daycare center is now looking for a new provider to save the facility.

The initiative of parents and educators

In response to the threatened closures, Silvana Havel and her colleagues started a petition to reconsider the city council's decision. So far, 2,200 signatures have been collected - a clear sign of support from parents and the community. The signature lists are available in various shops and public institutions in order to reach as many people as possible.

As in other cities, the closure of daycare centers in Ebersbach-Neugersdorf not only affects the children and parents, but also affects the employees of the facilities. In Saxony, a significant increase in vacancies in the education sector is expected, as fewer and fewer children are coming to daycare centers and many employees are already having to shorten their working hours. This situation could create further problems in childcare in the near future, while the Verdi union warns of the consequences MDR.de.

The developments in the region are not least a reflection of a change in society as a whole - the birth rate is falling and many daycare centers remain empty. Despite the challenges, those responsible in Ebersbach-Neugersdorf hope that the ongoing discussions and the signatures collected will bring a solution for the valuable facilities.