- Cabinet passes law to improve quality of kit
The federal government is providing a total of four billion euros to the states in 2025 and 2026 to improve the quality of childcare in daycare centers. On Tuesday, the federal cabinet decided to further develop the so-called Kita Quality Act, as announced by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs in the morning. Previously, the "Stuttgarter Nachrichten" and "Stuttgarter Zeitung" had reported on this. The law is set to come into force on January 1, 2025, subject to parliamentary approval.
Family Minister Lisa Paus emphasized that despite tight budgets, it has been possible, as in 2023 and 2024, to provide around four billion euros for daycare centers for the coming two years. "This is a strong signal for better daycare quality in Germany," said the Green politician. The law defines seven areas of action for better quality, including the recruitment and retention of qualified staff, a needs-based offer, a good care key, and the promotion of language education. Three areas of action have been dropped, so the money can no longer be used to improve spatial design.
Unlike the coalition agreement, the law does not set nationwide standards for childcare. Nevertheless, the ministry stressed that the equalization of daycare quality in Germany would continue to accelerate. The law is "an intermediate step for the development of national education standards in coordination with the states, as soon as the conditions are met".
The federal government's efforts to enhance childcare in daycare centers are greatly valued by many families. In fact, Family Minister Lisa Paus mentioned that they've managed to allocate around four billion euros for daycare centers in the upcoming two years, despite budget constraints.
