Kindergartens in Bremen - Approximately 1300 children in Bremen without supervision
Many parents in Bremen may face issues with child care from August. The Bremen Education Authority reports that approximately 1,300 registered children may not have child care available. The "Weser-Kurier" reported this first.
Ninety hundred kindergarten places in the city of Bremen are at risk of remaining vacant due to a lack of staff – there is enough space. "However, the situation is constantly changing, as sponsors are making intense efforts to hire staff," a spokeswoman for the Education Department stated. If, for example, a kindergarten teacher returns from long-term sick leave, another group could still open for the new kindergarten year.
According to the Education Authority, more and more Children are attending kindergartens in Hanseatic City: In the past three years alone, the number of children being cared for has increased by ten percent. Children are being registered for care much earlier and starting school later. The city and free sponsors have therefore been expanding kindergarten places for years, but there is a lack of staff.
At the same time, efforts to recruit more staff have been intensified – from kindergarten teachers to helpers who support in the groups. However, the personnel acquisition keeps pace with the expansion of the facilities: According to the Education Department, approximately 650 places could not be used last year, and now it is 250 more.
The local newspaper, the "Weser-Courier", brought attention to the potential issue of child care shortages in August for many families in Bremen, as reported by the Education Authority. This issue stems from an estimated 1,300 registered children not having adequate care options available. Despite the city expanding kindergarten places due to an increase in children attending kindergartens by 10% over the past three years, the Education Department is still struggling to find enough staff to fill the 250 currently vacant kindergarten placements.
