Frankfurt adopts new statutes: Childminders are happy about higher subsidies!

Frankfurt adopts new statutes: Childminders are happy about higher subsidies!

An important step has been taken for child day care in Frankfurt: despite the FDP's withdrawal from the Roman Alliance, a new statute for day parents was passed. Education department head Sylvia Weber (SPD), who has been working on this project for years, has repeatedly had to struggle with legal hurdles, but now it has been done. This is reported by the FAZ. According to the magistrate's decision, there is also a majority in the city council, which is supposed to implement the new framework conditions from January 1, 2024.

The new statutes not only regulate the legal and financial framework for child day care providers, but also increase the quality and attractiveness of this professional field. The planned cash benefits for childminders are expected to increase by a whopping 30 to 53 percent, depending on the number of children cared for. This means that remuneration will also be regulated according to a new, fair principle: in the future, childminders and childminders will receive the same remuneration for each child, regardless of how many children they look after. This will abolish the degression that many childminders found to be unfair. These measures are necessary to increase the demand for new day families, as the education policy spokeswoman for the CDU parliamentary group, Sara Steinhardt, emphasized.

Financial aspects and support for childminders

The adjustment of cash benefits is a central component of the new statutes. For example, childminders who currently receive 3,042 euros per month for looking after three children will receive 4,195 euros in the future. The cost structure will also be aligned with the parental contributions in regular daycare centers, which will particularly benefit parents of children under three years of age.

An important element of the statutes is the opportunity for childminders to apply for public funding in order to optimize the financial burden. These funds could help to further increase the attractiveness of child day care. In addition, the funds have already been included in the budget for 2026, which is a good sign for the future implementation of the statutes.

Concerns of childminders and improvements in protection

Despite the positive developments, many childminders are still skeptical. “We hope that the promised improvements will actually be implemented,” said Simone Machauer from the Frankfurt Day Families Interest Group (IG TaMaPaKi) critically. Further training opportunities and the involvement of substitute staff are also topics that should be taken into account in the context of the new statutes. Childminders often work independently and need to know their legal and financial framework well in order to avoid legal risks.

Another important point is statutory accident insurance, which takes effect during care. The framework conditions surrounding child day care are therefore not only crucial for the care of the children, but also for the protection of the day parents themselves and their financial security.

Overall, it can be seen that the new laws on child day care in Frankfurt bring with them both challenges and opportunities. Whether expectations will be met remains to be seen, but efforts to improve this important form of care are evident. The city has set itself an ambitious goal and it is hoped that the improvements will take effect in a timely manner.