For the current year of care, the daycare and crèche fees in Weilheim increase by three or six euros per month.
This caused debates in the council about whether the offer was not too cheap.
Weilheim
- “Moderate” is a word that is often used in the Weilheim city council when it comes to the fees that parents have to pay for the use of the city's day-care centers.
And the regular increase in these fees can confidently be called moderate: For over 15 years it has been proven practice that the city increases the fees by around one to three percent annually - alternately every year by two euros per month per kindergarten place (or four euros per daycare place) and then in the following year by three or six euros.
This annual adjustment is "generation-appropriate, well-planned and even", stated main office employee Stefan Popp in the most recent city council meeting.
For the care year 2021/2022, the slightly higher variant applies again: In the kindergarten groups, the monthly fees increase by three euros per booking time, in the daycare groups by six euros.
As a result, the monthly parental contributions for a kindergarten place from the coming September will be between 100 euros (with a daily booking time of three to four hours) and 161 euros (nine to ten hours).
For a daycare place, between 200 and 320 euros are then due.
The parents' councils of the three municipal daycare centers have already agreed.
Since a joint meeting could not yet take place this year due to corona, the town hall has informed all childcare facilities in the city area in writing about this adjustment.
"From the feedback it can be seen that the porters go along with the increase," said Popp.
The city council decided unanimously to increase the number of daycare centers in the city.
Angelika Flock (CSU), the city council representative for day-care centers, emphasized that Weilheim has “very moderate day-care fees” compared to other cities - and suggested that a direct comparison should be drawn up when the opportunity arises.
Similar tones could already be heard during the preliminary discussion in the main committee: In view of the high level of investment in the local facilities, their quality and the comparatively low level of fees, one should "fundamentally think about increasing the fees," said SPD representative Petra Arneth-Mangano - admittedly with the corresponding “relief for small and medium incomes”.
Mayor Markus Loth (BfW) restricted the income situation of the parents, as this is not possible in practice, pointing out that the district office pays the fees “in the case of low incomes and high burdens”.
But he agreed to the basic diagnosis: "Our daycare centers are really very, very cheap compared to other municipalities," said Loth in the committee.
Some porters would also point out to the city again and again that it was “too cheap” in terms of daycare fees.
That is why years ago people thought about generally higher wages, but then consciously decided against it in the interests of a “family-friendly city”.
One could certainly think about it again in the near future, the city hall boss added: "But I don't know whether that would be the right signal in Corona times."
The fact is: The city of Weilheim's expenditure on childcare is increasing enormously.
The city has to bear a deficit of around five million euros this year just for the ongoing operation of the Weilheim daycare centers - i.e. without investments, as city treasurer Christoph Scharf said at the budget consultations (we reported).
In 2018 this deficit was 1.6 million euros lower.
After all: Weilheim is "very well positioned when it comes to childcare," as Flock pointed out in the city council.
But the federal and state governments urgently need to relieve the municipalities in this regard, so the CSU politician's appeal.
Regarding possible higher fees for parents, Stefan Popp reassured: Thanks to state subsidies, many parents would ultimately have to pay “little or nothing” for the use of day care centers.
"A lot is cushioned by the state."
By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our new, regular Weilheim-Penzberg newsletter.
