Bottlenecks and shorter opening hours in daycare centers
The cold season in the fall has led to staff shortages and in some cases reduced opening hours in Thuringian daycare centers. "It's true that daycare center staff in particular have been affected by the wave of illnesses," said Manuela Kocksch, head of daycare centers at Caritas in the diocese of Erfurt, on Tuesday. Some daycare centers had to close an hour earlier. She is not aware of any complete closure of a facility.
According to her, the situation is particularly tight in border regions, where there is already a shortage of skilled workers because they prefer to work in Bavaria or Hesse. Eichsfeld and Schmalkalden-Meiningen, for example, are affected. "There is always a staff shortage in Eichsfeld. And when staff are absent due to illness, it's a huge hurdle." In Erfurt, for example, staffing levels are better.
The AWO regional association in Thuringia also reports a wave of illness. There are staff shortages, but so far there has hardly been any impact on opening hours, said a spokeswoman. Only in very small facilities is it becoming more problematic. "However, we cannot yet report that opening hours have been affected on a large scale."
The ongoing illnesses have also impacted Kindergartens, causing social affairs departments to seek temporary solutions. Ensuring adequate health care for these young children is of utmost importance as we navigate the rise of diseases during this season.
Source: www.dpa.com
