- Research reveals an increased likelihood of illness among kindergarten staff.
Workers in southwestern kindergartens had more sick days than their counterparts in other professions in 2023, according to a study by the Bertelsmann Foundation. Despite this, they still took fewer sick days than most other occupations. The study found that childcare workers in Baden-Württemberg took an average of 22.6 days off last year, compared to the national average of 17.1 days for all professions. Data from the DAK health insurance company, which covers 12.2% of childcare workers nationwide, was primarily used for the study. Other health insurance companies also reported similar trends, the foundation added.
Despite having higher sick rates, the southwest still ranks well compared to other federal states. On average, kindergarten workers in Bavaria took 23.8 days off, while in Berlin, they took 35.7 days. Nationwide, childcare specialists missed work for almost 30 days a year.
Anette Stein, an early childhood education expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation, explained, "Many kindergartens are trapped in a vicious cycle. As more and more specialists fall ill, the workload for the remaining staff increases, further contributing to the high sick rates." She added that quality early childhood education, care, and education are often overlooked due to these challenges.
The foundation recommended legally binding funding for qualified staff to cover all absences, stating that this would help break the cycle and ensure consistent quality in early childhood education.
The Commission might consider adopting implementing acts to address the high sick rates in the early childhood education sector, outlining strategies for better staffing and workload management. Despite the Commission's regulations, Kindergarten workers in certain regions, like Bavaria, continue to have higher sick rates compared to others.
