- Most applications for aid for kites approved
In the Rhineland-Palatinate special program for the expansion of daycare places, the majority of applications submitted have been approved. Specifically, 47 out of 57 applications submitted by April 15th were approved. The Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Education in Mainz announced this. The total funding amount for the approved 47 applications is 9.9 million euros, ranging from around 24,000 to 570,000 euros.
"Families need daycare and the state needs more daycare places. That's why the state is supporting expansion," said Education Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD). This ensures the good compatibility of family and work.
The ministry rejected ten applications for formal or content-related reasons, such as missing documents, the measure ending after December 31, 2025, or the project not being eligible for funding.
The special program totals 40 million euros. Now, 15.1 million euros are available from the funding pot for applications by the second deadline of July 15th.
Rhineland-Palatinate has too few daycare places
The state government introduced the special funding program in addition to the regular investment cost funding of 15 million euros per fiscal year. While the regular state funding supports construction measures that create entirely new daycare places, the special program focuses on securing existing places or recreating places that have been dismantled. Additionally, renovation measures can be funded.
There is consensus that there are too few daycare places in the state. "In recent years, more and more parents have taken advantage of the right to child daycare, especially for very young children and in full-time care," emphasizes the education minister. The Bertelsmann Foundation also reached this conclusion in a study presented at the end of November last year, stating that three-quarters of children in Rhineland-Palatinate daycare centers are cared for in groups with "not child-appropriate staffing ratios." According to the study, Rhineland-Palatinate needs around 27,400 more daycare places to meet the needs of parents.
Other applicants who missed the April 15th deadline can still submit their applications by the second deadline of July 15th. The special program is open to various types of daycare facilities, including those aiming to secure existing places, recreate dismantled ones, or undergo renovation.
