Kitas in need: Experts demand urgent political need for action!

Kitas in need: Experts demand urgent political need for action!

In Cologne and the surrounding area, representatives of local daycare centers made it clear at a meeting of the Committee for Schools, Education and Sport that it is high time for changes in politics. At the event, they emphasized that important questions need to be clarified at the state and federal level in order to improve the situation of daycare centers. Thomas Maihaus, head of the association of Catholic daycare centers, urgently appealed to local politicians to use their contacts to draw attention to the difficulties faced by daycare centers. That reports wn.de.

The current daycare quality law, which has been further developed in terms of content since January 1, 2025, aims to increase the quality in daycare centers and day care. Over a period of four years, the federal government is investing around eight billion euros to help the federal states adapt the care to the needs of families. This also includes extended opening times and an improved specialist-child key so that there is more time for the individual care of children. In their contracts, the federal states have to determine concrete measures with the federal government, which offers an enormous opportunity for improvement. This information comes from the website of the Federal Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth at bmbfsfj.de.

Overload and emigration in the daycare staff

The staff in the daycare centers is facing a major challenge: A current study by the Justus Liebig University of Gießen in collaboration with the Bertelsmann Foundation shows that almost half of the daycare center employees surveyed feel overworked every day or almost every day. This leads many employees to seriously consider changing careers. The risk of emigration is particularly high among 26 to 30-year-olds, which in the long term also puts additional strain on the remaining employees. Anette Stein, an expert on the topic, points out that an exodus of staff could also encourage other employees to leave their jobs, which only exacerbates the problems. The Bertelsmann Foundation is therefore calling for the skilled worker quota to be increased to 72.5 percent, with the long-term goal being 85 percent. Although these recommendations are important, they were not taken into account in the current Kita Quality Act.

In order to counteract the shortage of skilled workers, measures urgently need to be taken, the young people not only make it easier to get started with the professional field, but also further train existing employees. The need for well -financed, professional advice and support is therefore essential. The pressure on the daycare centers is growing and the challenges are great. This interaction shows that a sustainable solution is required to guarantee high -quality support and to make upbringing future -oriented. The Bertelsmann Foundation explains more on this on its website: bertelsmann-stiftung.de.