Childcare Crisis: East Meets West
Rising Concerns Over Smallpox Mortalities in East Germany
Berlin (dpa) - "Seeking Kindy Spots", "Musical Fun, Forest Adventures, and Excursions" - kindergartens in Pankow, Berlin, are attracting children with posters and flyers, unlike the situation in Saxon cities such as Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz, where kindergartens are shutting down due to the lack of children. Yet, this stark contrast isn't limited to eastern states, as the country's childcare landscape is divided both geographically and regionally.
Doreen Siebernik, deputy chairwoman of the Education and Science Union (GEW), voices concern over the looming kindergarten crisis in the eastern states, stating it poses a significant challenge in some regions and stresses the potential social consequences. The imminent domino effect is a warning bell political leaders must heed, she cautions.
Space in Shortage to Oversupply?
This contradicts persistent reports about a childcare crisis with hundreds of thousands of missing spots. The nature of this problem greatly depends on the region, says Family Minister Karin Prien, adding that urban areas face different hurdles. A recent analysis by the Institute of the German Economy (IW) further supports these claims.
"The east finds itself in a situation where a reduction in kindergarten capacity is almost inevitable. This typically affects cities, but also rural areas," asserts the IW study. Meanwhile, western states face continued shortages, depending on the region. According to a Bertelsmann study from late 2023, far over 300,000 care spots are lacking in western Germany, measured against parents' desires.
Collapse: Overutilization's Reaper?
While western states grapple with missing care spots, reports of impending closures have plagued Saxon cities for over a year. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the GEW complains that staff has already been discontinued in some kindergartens due to declining child numbers. In Saxony-Anhalt, kindergarten staff is being reassigned to other duties due to the absence of children. In Thuringia, closures are reported in places like Weimar. In an effort to deprive the kindergarten system of collapse due to underutilization, such actions are deemed necessary.
What Lies Ahead?
Addressing the varying situations across the country requires a nuanced approach. "To tackle the eastern states' challenges, we'll need to consider how we can use further education to redeploy staff currently in kindergartens elsewhere," suggests Prien. Emphasizing the need for more generalist training programs, she advocates for the ability to deploy trained personnel in multiple areas. The IW study also proposes maintaining and improving the child-to-staff ratio to prevent closures. The GEW union reiterates this, emphasizing the opportunity to enhance kindergarten services' quality.
The expansion of kindergarten facilities since 2013 has been significant. Over the past decade, the number of facilities rose from approximately 53,000 to nearly 61,000, and the number of educators jumped from 530,000 to over 780,000. The number of children being cared for increased from 3.3 million to almost 4 million. Since 1996, German parents have had a legal claim to a kindergarten spot for children aged three and up, extended to include those aged one and up in 2013.
"In the face of the childcare crisis, addressing the eastern states' challenges might involve focusing on education-and-self-development initiatives to redirect staff currently in kindergartens towards personal-growth opportunities, thus enhancing kindergarten services' quality."
"With the increased number of kindergarten facilities and educators, providing learning opportunities for staff could lead to not only improving the child-to-staff ratio but also contributing to their personal growth and the overall development of the kindergarten system."
