- SPD leader: CDU should "kick the can" of its kit plans
The SPD has rejected the CDU's proposal to reform the daycare law in Saxony-Anhalt. If the CDU state parliament faction wants a 2025/26 budget that holds, "they should scrap their plans to worsen childcare and increase the burden on young families immediately," said the two SPD state chairmen, Andreas Schmidt and Juliane Kleemann, on the X platform.
The Christian Democrats want to amend the daycare law. We need to discuss within the coalition which changes are possible and what we can still afford, said the social policy spokesman Tobias Krull. "No one can say that everything will remain the same." We need to talk about measures that will take effect with the 2025 budget.
The state's spending on childcare has increased significantly in recent years, causing repeated discussions within the coalition of CDU, SPD, and FDP. This year, the state's allocations amount to 449 million euros, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs.
Will it become more expensive for parents in the future?
Currently, families with multiple children in kindergarten, daycare, and after-school care only pay for the oldest child. The CDU proposes that families should only pay for the youngest child in the future, which would reduce costs. However, this would make it more expensive for parents, as care in daycare is often more expensive than in kindergarten.
The third coalition partner, FDP, is also pushing for changes. "Especially in times of a tight budget, we consider an adjustment of the extended sibling rule necessary," explained the state parliamentarian Konstantin Pott on X. "Last year, we already proposed in the coalition that parents with multiple children should pay the parent contribution for the youngest child in the future, not the oldest. This would eliminate incentives and continue to provide significant relief."
According to the finance politician Stefan Ruland, there are also considerations in the CDU faction to invest more money in schools instead of daycare centers in the long term. "There is a huge investment need there," said Ruland.
Despite the SPD's objection to worsening childcare and increasing the burden on young families, the CDU's social policy spokesman Tobias Krull suggests discussing potential changes to the daycare law within the coalition. The FDP, another coalition partner, also advocates for adjusting the extended sibling rule in childcare costs to provide relief to parents with multiple children.
