kindergartens - In emergencies, Kita-Gruppe can still be larger
In Notfall situations, an additional child can still be cared for in Lower Saxony's kindergarten groups. The state government made this decision, as announced by the State Chancellery in Hannover. The previous ordinance was due to expire at the end of July and is now expected to apply until July 2026.
This measure aims to give kindergarten providers planning security and prevent existing groups from being torn apart. The protection applies only to groups where an additional child is actually being cared for as of the end of July.
This ordinance has already been extended several times and was created to offer a care place to children who had fled from Ukraine. This allows for one more child per group than the Fachkraft-Kind-Quotient specifies. This quota sets the maximum size of a group at 25 children, while in crèches it is 15. Unions criticize the regulation due to the additional burden for the employment staff.
From August 1, changes to the kindergarten law are expected to take effect. Specifically, the requirements for substitute personnel in kindergartens will be made more flexible, and the deployment of assistant staff will be facilitated if sufficient specialized staff are not available. The Landtag passed this with the votes of the red-green state government about a month ago. The two opposition factions CDU and AfD voted against it.
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