Study sees daycare crisis - hundreds of thousands of places missing
According to a study, there is a shortage of around 430,000 daycare places in Germany - despite the legal entitlement to a childcare place. Although there has been progress in the expansion of daycare facilities, demand has risen continuously and the situation is now "unbearable", according to the publication of the Bertelsmann Stiftung's "State Monitoring of Early Childhood Education Systems". The analysis sees a crisis in daycare centers and calls for energetic short and long-term measures.
According to the report, there is a shortage of 385,900 places in the western German states to meet childcare needs. In eastern Germany, there is a gap of around 44,700 daycare places. Since 2013, children have had a legal entitlement to a childcare place after their first birthday. For boys and girls aged three and over, the entitlement has been in place since 1996.
According to the data, more and more parents are also looking for childcare for their younger offspring in particular. The shortage is correspondingly high, especially for U3 places, i.e. for under-threes. The lack of staff continues to be a serious problem.
Clear east-west differences
In eastern Germany, the proportion of children attending a daycare center is significantly higher than in the west. The situation is less favorable in the east when it comes to staffing ratios: One full-time specialist there looks after a calculated 5.4 children under the age of three. For older boys and girls aged three and over, one educator looks after an average of 10.5 boys and girls. In the west, one specialist looks after 3.4 under-threes and 7.7 older children aged three and over.
According to scientific recommendations, a staffing ratio of 1 to 3 for the youngest children and 1 to 7.5 for the over-threes is appropriate for children, it was stated in Gütersloh. The shortage of specialist staff is making it increasingly difficult to implement the educational mission of daycare centers. "The situation has become unbearable for children and parents as well as for the existing staff," emphasized education expert Anette Stein.
What does the future hold?
The authors see opportunities for "noticeable" improvements by 2030, although this would require immediate action. In the eastern German states, the analysis believes that the staffing ratio could be brought into line with the western level due to falling numbers of children, as well as meeting the demand for places. However, the following is a prerequisite: "For all eastern German states, the current nursery staff must not be made redundant and new specialist staff must be recruited."
For most western German states, it could be more difficult to achieve the targets by 2030 in terms of meeting the demand for places and staffing ratios. More speed is needed to expand the number of places. The situation looks more positive in Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein.
Mix of long-term and short-term measures
The team of authors calls for long-term strategies for the recruitment and qualification of new skilled workers. Attractive working conditions are also needed to ensure that staff remain in the profession. As an immediate measure, pedagogical staff should be relieved of housekeeping and administrative tasks. Lateral entrants could also ease the situation. However, there should be no cutbacks in pedagogical qualifications.
In some federal states, a temporary reduction in daycare opening hours until 2025 could be helpful. Such a drastic measure must be well coordinated with all partners. The daycare crisis is so far advanced that "new answers" are needed, the foundation emphasized.
Despite the legal entitlement to kindergarten placement in Germany, a study reveals a significant shortage of around 430,000 spots, affecting both western and eastern regions. This issue is particularly acute in kindergartens for younger children, as more parents seek daycare services.
The labor market for daycare center staff is also struggling, with eastern German states having a higher proportion of children in daycare but lower staffing ratios compared to western states. This staffing shortage makes it challenging to implement educational objectives effectively, leading to an "unbearable" situation for both children and parents.
Source: www.dpa.com
