Kindergartens - State promises municipalities planning security for daycare expansion
The black-green state government has assured municipalities and funding recipients planning security for the expansion of kindergarten places. "There is no suspension of funding for kindergarten expansion," said Family State Secretary Lorenz Bahr in the responsible committee of the Landtag on Thursday. Both free and public providers and daycare centers can continue to submit applications for investment cost funding. "That was never interrupted."
In this year, a total of 200 million Euro is available for kindergarten expansion after the increase in the state's funding by 85 million Euro. "That's about as much as in previous years," said Bahr. Unapproved applications will be examined very promptly and approvals processed accordingly. With the additional 85 million Euro, compensation will also be provided as the federal government will not provide any further funds for kindergarten expansion.
Recently, a media report caused unrest that, due to a lack of funds, no more funding applications from municipalities would be approved in North Rhine-Westphalia. The ministry then announced short-term that an additional 85 million Euro would be made available for kindergarten expansion in the current fiscal year.
The SPD opposition accused the state government of "stop and go in kindergarten expansion." For weeks, the municipalities had been left in the dark about further funding, criticized the family policy spokesman Dennis Maelzer. "Whether the hectically promised additional 85 million Euro will be sufficient to meet all needs is not only questioned by the leading municipal associations."
State Secretary Bahr said there was no miscalculation by the state. Whether the 200 million Euro would be sufficient depended on the number of applications that would ultimately be submitted and approved. The funds would not be paid out in this year either, as construction could not be done that quickly.
Decline in expansion of U3 places
In North Rhine-Westphalia, there are over 764,000 places in kindergartens and daycare. However, the growth in kindergarten places in North Rhine-Westphalia has drastically decreased - above all in the offer for children under three (U3). According to earlier statements from the Family Ministry, the increase in U3 places to the kindergarten year 2024/25 was only 466 - for about 221,000 places. In the previous year, it was still an increase of nearly 4,000 places.
The stagnating expansion, according to Bahr's statements, is not due to the state government but to significant cost increases due to the energy crisis, the skilled labor shortage, complex bureaucracy, and the tight financial resources of the municipalities.
- The black-green government in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) guarantees planning security for the expansion of kindergarten places in municipalities and funding recipients.
- Family State Secretary Lorenz Bahr reassured both public and private providers, as well as daycare centers, that they can continue submitting applications for investment cost funding.
- In Düsseldorf, as well as other parts of NRW, a total of 200 million Euro is allocated for kindergarten expansion, following an 85 million Euro increase in the state's funding.
- Unapproved applications for daycare center expansion in the current fiscal year will be processed promptly, ensuring continuing support for new kindergarten places.
- The state government's commitment to expanding kindergarten places in NRW has been criticized by the SPD opposition, who argue that there has been a stop-and-go approach in funding decisions.
- Despite the decrease in the expansion of U3 places in North Rhine-Westphalia, the stagnation is not attributed to the state government but instead to significant cost increases and financial constraints faced by municipalities.
