Daycare centers in need: Experts call for urgent political action!

Daycare centers in need: Experts call for urgent political 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 Kita Quality Act, which has been further developed since January 1, 2025, aims to increase the quality in daycare centers and child day care. Over a period of four years, the federal government is investing around eight billion euros to help the states adapt care to the needs of families. This also includes extended opening hours and an improved specialist-child ratio so that there is more time for individual care of children. The states must specify concrete measures in their contracts with the federal government, which offers an enormous opportunity for improvement. This information comes from the website of the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth at bmbfsfj.de.

Overload and migration of 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, urgent measures must be taken that not only make it easier for young people to enter the professional field, but also provide further training for existing employees. The need for well-funded, professional advice and support is therefore essential. The pressure on daycare centers is growing and the challenges are great. This interaction shows that a sustainable solution is required to guarantee high-quality care and to make education future-oriented. The Bertelsmann Foundation explains more about this on its website: bertelsmann-stiftung.de.