When should one take care of a daycare place? As soon as possible, many mothers and fathers would answer - presumably also the parents from North Rhine-Westphalia, who argue in court with the city of Marl. On April 30, the family applied for a daycare place for a three-year-old child. At that time she still lived in Bottrop. The city saw this as an obstacle - but the parents had complained.
They were right: In an urgent decision, the administrative court Gelsenkirchen obliged the city of Marl on Tuesday to provide the child immediately a day care place (file reference 10 L 1080/19).
The legal entitlement to care can not be forfeited because the parents were living in another city at the time of the application, the court clarified. Earlier, the "Marler Zeitung" reported on the decision. The decision of the Administrative Court is not yet final. The city can still pull before the Higher Administrative Court.
According to court spokesman, the city had argued that the parents should apply for the day care place only if they lived in Marl and there are also reported. That rejected the court. Only an early application would ensure that the child had a day-care center immediately when moving. Parents are required to report their needs to the youth welfare office no later than six months prior to their claim.
The city now checks according to a spokesman, if she appeals. He did not give details of the specific case. "We are trying to do everything we can to create additional day care places," he said. Altogether, 392 places were missing in Marl, including 158 for children over three years old. "The demand is significantly larger than originally forecast," said the spokesman.
Every child has a legal entitlement to a childcare place from the age of one and, from the age of 3, a child on a daycare center.
