Kretschmann: Lack of daycare places a problem for the economy
Minister President Winfried Kretschmann believes that reducing the shortage of childcare places must be a priority. "Because this is not only of great importance for the children, but also for the economy and the labor market," said the Green politician in Stuttgart on Tuesday. In addition to early childhood education, daycare centers are also important for parents who want to work. However, the local authorities were responsible for this and the state provided as much support as it could.
The Bertelsmann Foundation published a study on Tuesday according to which there is a shortage of around 60,000 daycare places in the south-west to meet the needs of parents. There has been a legal entitlement to a daycare place since 2013. Since then, every child from the age of one must actually be provided with a corresponding place. The foundation believes that one solution to the problem would be to reduce opening hours. If these were reduced to six hours a day, Baden-Württemberg could meet the demand for places for all parents by 2025 - and at the same time maintain the good staffing ratios in the state.
This would soon be possible with the creation of an opening clause, said Kretschmann. "The local authorities can deviate from the standards - and how they do this, in which opening hours, is then their decision. They have to take responsibility for this themselves and discuss with parents what they think is good and what is not so good." The state parliament is to make a final decision on the introduction of the opening clause on Wednesday.
The reduction of daycare place shortage is crucial for both children's development and the labor market, as highlighted by Minister President Kretschmann. Earlier education and kindergartens provide essential support for working parents, making education and social affairs intertwined issues in the labor market discourse.
Source: www.dpa.com
