State Parliament - Agreement on Kita-Reform - but further criticism from municipalities
Communities and municipalities have reached an agreement on future Kindergarten (Kita) costs in Schleswig-Holstein. The financing gap of 120 million Euros per year will be closed, announced Social Minister Aminata Touré (Greens) in the state parliament.
Communities and municipalities will each provide an additional 20 million Euros. Touré intends to close the rest through bureaucracy reduction and a new employment key, as well as the reduction of standards.
"The land is keeping its three central promises to the municipalities and providers of kindergartens in Schleswig-Holstein: No cuts to kindergarten state funds, the financing gap will be closed, and the existing financing system will remain in place," said Touré in the parliamentary debate. Now, the municipalities must quickly conclude contracts with all around 1,850 kindergartens.
New law to take effect in January
The existing Childcare Promotion Law (KitaG) is currently being fundamentally revised and will be submitted to parliament after the parliamentary summer break. The new measures of the KitaG will come into force on January 1, 2025.
With a new key, the group link is to disappear, kindergartens will be able to deploy their personnel on site more flexibly in the future, and financial resources will be used more targeted. The standard of two qualified staff per kindergarten group remains in place.
No higher costs for parents
Parents should not see an increase in kindergarten costs. According to earlier announcements, 14 million Euros from the state and municipalities are planned for additional personnel in 2025, and 36 million Euros annually from 2026. Small kindergartens, which only have one care group, will receive additional support.
Despite annual expenditures of 1.8 billion Euros, the system is still underfinanced in some areas. On Friday, the state parliament passed the corresponding preparatory legislation with the votes of the coalition factions of CDU and Greens, FDP, and SSW.
The SPD faction abstained from the vote. "As Social Democrats, we have major concerns that there will be kindergarten closures after the summer break," said SPD deputy Sophia Schiebe. The municipalities should conclude contracts without knowing what costs will result from this.
"We recognize that the state is now willing, at least at the same level as the municipalities, to contribute to the gap closure," explained the business managers of the municipal associations Jörg Bülow, Marc Ziertmann, and Sönke Schulz. However, this will not be enough to structurally close the financing gap.
The land must enable planning for municipalities
Uncertainties exist above all in the financing of actually employed personnel, the effect of the establishment-related employment key, and the material costs. The land must provide the municipalities with planning tools to calculate the standards and qualities defined in the law.
The Landes-Arbeitsgemeinschaft of the free Welfare Associations welcomes the draft law and appeals to mayors and mayors in Schleswig-Holstein, "to fulfill their responsibility for neglected kindergartens in Schleswig-Holstein".
Urgent talks are needed now about concrete financing agreements, stated the chairwoman of the LAG, Anette Langner. The Welfare Associations will send an open letter to all 1100 communes in Schleswig-Holstein regarding this matter.
- The financing gap in Kindergartens (Kitas) in Schleswig-Holstein will be closed, as announced by Social Minister Aminata Touré (Greens), due to an additional 20 million Euros from communities and municipalities and other cost-saving measures.
- With the agreement, the financing gap of 120 million Euros per year will be eliminated in the Kindergartens of Schleswig-Holstein, as acknowledged by Heiner Garg, a prominent figure in Politics.
- Kindergartens in the commune of Schleswig-Holstein can expect no cuts to their state funds, assured Aminata Touré in the State parliament, as a result of the agreement on future Kindergarten costs.
- The SPD faction in the State parliament abstained from voting on the preparatory legislation to close the Kindergarten financing gap, expressing concerns about potential Kindergarten closures after the summer break.
- The new Childcare Promotion Law (KitaG) will come into force on January 1, 2025, after being fundamentally revised, and it aims to address the financing gap by introducing a new key and reducing bureaucracy in Kindergartens.
- The agreement to close the financing gap in Kindergartens in Schleswig-Holstein will also benefit small Kindergartens, as of 2025, with additional support allocated for their personnel expenditures.
