Childcare: This is really how it is about the promised expansion of the daycare center for children under three

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When it comes to expanding the number of places in day-care centers for children under three, the German municipalities are well below expectations.

This is shown by a study by the Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (IW), which WELT AM SONNTAG has received.

"The municipalities made an effort, but achieved significantly less than they had promised at the 2007 crib summit," says Wido Geis-Thöne, economist for family policy at the IW.

At that time, the federal, state and local governments decided on a legal right to a childcare place for children aged one and over, which has been in effect since August 2013.

By then, 750,000 childcare places should be created.

But the municipalities only reached this mark four years later, during which time the need for more places has increased dramatically.

"That is a poor certificate," says Geis-Thöne.

It shows that many cities and towns were not as active as they should have been.

When looking at the development of daycare places between March 1, 2014 and March 1, 2019, the district of Coesfeld recorded the strongest increase with 42.4 places per 10,000 inhabitants, followed by the district of Gifhorn with 38.5 and Hamburg with 37. 7 additional seats.

Declines in the number of places were recorded in the independent cities of Neumünster, Memmingen, Gera and Rosenheim.

In addition, the IW study shows regional trends: "We are seeing a sad development especially in the Ruhr area," says Geis-Thöne.

Better situation in East Germany

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The economist sees one reason in the budget problems of many municipalities.

In the Ruhr area, the municipalities are already burdened with higher social benefits.

“That then adds up, so that other things fall off the back,” says Geis-Thöne.

In the early 2010s, there were large programs to expand daycare centers.

However, the municipalities have been slow to call up the funds.

From the point of view of the IW expert, a common problem is co-financing, in which the municipalities had to bear part of the costs.

How big the actual gaps are, however, is difficult to quantify at the local level.

That depends on the expansion in recent years as well as on the demographic forecasts and the childcare rate that has already been achieved.

"In 2007, Saxony-Anhalt reached a level of childcare for under three-year-olds that the western German states are still a long way from today," says Geis-Thöne.

Overall, the childcare rates in eastern Germany are also significantly higher than in the west.

You can read the entire research in WELT AM SONNTAG.

We will be happy to deliver them to your home on a regular basis.

There are large regional differences in daycare centers and crèches

The conditions in daycare centers and crèches are extremely different in the various federal states.

This is what the Bertelsmann Foundation's “Early Childhood Education Systems” country monitor shows.

The personnel key in particular plays a major role in support.

Source: WELT / Sebastian Plantholt