Expansion of round-the-clock childcare services at risk of collapsing, according to SPD - Expansion of day care services at risk of falling short, warns SPD
In Bavaria, the expansion of full-day care for primary school-aged children is a pressing concern for families relying on both parents' income and for educational equity. The SPD has highlighted the need for better support from the state government, urging the regional governments to collaborate with municipalities in monitoring funding opportunities for the expansion of full-day care.
Recently, it was reported that only 1.3% of the federal funding for the expansion of full-day care in Bavaria has been claimed so far, with 21.3% planned. This underutilization of funds has raised concerns within the SPD, who have called for immediate action to address this issue.
The responsibility for the expansion of full-day care lies with the municipalities, but the regional governments are tasked with ensuring that there are enough places for students in the afternoon, according to Uwe Brandl, president of the Gemeindetag.
In response to these challenges, the federal government has approved an investment program of 3.5 billion euros for the expansion of full-day care offers in 2021, with approximately 461 million euros allocated for Bavaria. This funding aims to support the Länder (states) with substantial funds—around four billion euros in 2025 and 2026—for quality development and expansion of early childhood education and care nationwide.
The federal support comes through investment programs and reforms aimed at improving staff-to-child ratios, staff qualifications, leadership, and promoting children's language, health, and nutrition development. Key legislation, such as the Kinderförderungsgesetz, guarantees a legal right for children from age one onward to attend childcare, increasing demand for full-day care and putting pressure on existing capacities.
The Childcare Quality Act (KiTa-Qualitätsgesetz) funds quality improvements in seven action fields critical for early childhood education. Since 2015, the federal government has contributed significant financial resources, including 5.4 billion euros through investment programmes and annual investments of 845 million euros plus operational funding, to support expansion and quality enhancement.
However, Bavaria, like other German states, experiences difficulties in filling all full-day care slots due to limited personnel, including qualified early childhood educators, and the need to upgrade or expand facilities to accommodate more children. This shortage affects care services' accessibility and quality.
The SPD has stated that the expansion of full-day care in the Free State of Bavaria is at risk of failing if bureaucratic obstacles are not removed. Smaller communities in Bavaria seem to be overwhelmed by the complex tasks associated with the expansion of full-day care.
Full-day care coordinators are available at the regional governments in Bavaria to answer questions about offers for primary school children. As of the end of July, 112 million euros in funds have been approved for the expansion of full-day care in Bavaria. Approximately 461 million euros in federal funding for the expansion of full-day care in Bavaria remain untapped, according to the SPD.
The discussion around the expansion of full-day care in Bavaria is ongoing, with BR, a regional broadcaster in Munich, covering the topic extensively. Uwe Brandl has demanded that the municipalities be allowed to plan and trusted with the responsibilities, rather than having every detail dictated to them. SPD education politician Simone Strohmayr has stated that the expansion of full-day care has not been brought to the schools in Bavaria.
Every second primary school child in Bavaria already participates in an afternoon offer, which includes open full-day care, bound full-day care, after-school care, or lunch supervision, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs. Despite this, the expansion of full-day care remains a significant challenge for the state.
[1] Source: Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) and Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
[2] Source: Bavarian Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration (BayMiSi)
- The SPD has emphasized the importance of collaboration between regional governments and municipalities for effective vocational training in the expansion of full-day care, particularly in the field of education-and-self-development, a concern that has been raised in policy discussions.
- The underutilization of funds for vocational training in the expansion of full-day care has been a topic of general news and politics, with the SPD calling for immediate action to address this issue and ensure better support from the state government.
