Weimar closes daycare centers: 500 fewer places until 2026 - parents worried!

Weimar closes daycare centers: 500 fewer places until 2026 - parents worried!

Weimar, Deutschland - In Weimar, a drastic decision has been made: the city council decided to reduce a total of 500 daycare centers. This step has become necessary due to the demographic change, which is also noticeable here. Only 366 births are expected for 2024 - the lowest number since the mid -1990s. Many members of the city council reject the allegations of parents that the process was not transparent. All committee meetings were public, and representatives of the city parents' council were able to contribute at any time, such as mdr reported.

The CDU parliamentary group leader Jörg Geibert sees no other way out in the concluded closings. The considerations for 2026 also make it clear that the discussions will not end here. Wolfram Wiese from the SPD, chairman of the youth welfare committee, emphasizes that the decision was not easy for anyone, since hundreds of daycare places are simply no longer economically justifiable. The board of directors of the left sees the cuts as necessary, but remains critical of how they are implemented.

Introduction of transitional regulations

The city administration plans not to implement the reduction in daycare places suddenly. Instead, there are transitional regulations by summer 2026. This is to ensure that children can continue to move from their familiar daycare to school. The youth welfare committee is currently advising on the further procedure and corresponding support offers for affected daycare centers and families. The potentially affected institutions are evaluated in a "negative catalog", with criteria such as planning space, investment needs and operating costs into account, according to Weimar .

In the rankings of the remaining daycare centers, for example, facilities with long opening times and integrative offers go away well. This shows that the city has a good hand to obtain the variety of sponsors and concept. The remaining daycare centers are classified using a rating matrix.

The broader context of the daycare situation

The challenges in childcare are not just a Weimar phenomenon. Numerous daycare centers are affected in all Thuringia, but also in other East German cities. The Federal Statistical Office documents an overall German decline in children under the age of three. However, there is a holistic increase in the care of children who are cared for more than 35 hours a week. In Weimar, as from municipal , the situation particularly precarious, as far as a rural form affects.

by 2040 a population loss of up to 11 % is forecast in Thuringia. In other municipalities such as the Saale-Holzland-Kreis or Leipzig, the opportunities for future generations are also exciting, since from 2026 many daycare places have to be free or even facilities. This shows the pressure under which not only Weimar, but also many other cities.

The decision -makers in Weimar not only have the current space requirement, but also long -term developments that are also determined by a shortage of skilled workers and migrating young families. A versatile approach to improve the quality of the care is essential to meet the challenge.