CSU is sounding the alarm: there is a growing shortage of skilled workers in childcare – will kindergartens have to close soon?

Created: 05/18/2022Updated: 05/18/2022 10:02 am

By: Christian Fellner

Childcare is becoming increasingly difficult for the municipalities to provide because there is a lack of specialist staff.

© Monika Skolimowska/dpa

Garmisch-Partenkirchen's Deputy District Administrator Dr.

Michael Rapp (CSU) appeals in the district committee to the district administrator and the district administration to create a training offer in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

The municipality of Oberau is already in dire need.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

– Peter Imminger spoke up under the point of other things.

This time the mayor of Oberau didn't have a funny anecdote to contribute.

No, the CSU parliamentary group spokesman was serious, very serious.

"We in Oberau will probably soon no longer be able to keep our kindergarten running," he threw into the meeting room of the Garmisch-Partenkirchner town hall, where the members of the district committee had met.

short silence.

"We don't get any more supervisors," complained Imminger.

If it comes up, there might be an application for a job advertisement.

"Nothing else."

Imminger chose the situation in his home community as an example to point out a general emergency: the lack of nursing staff.

"We have to act at the county level," added Dr.

Michael Rapp (CSU).

"Every day that passes is one too many."

Harald Helfrich agreed with his colleagues.

The Social Democrat had previously pointed out the care problem on an agenda item.

It's not just about clinics and senior citizens' facilities, but specifically about school pedagogy, about the care of children in day-care centers and kindergartens.

"In 2025, everyone will have the right to all-day care," emphasized Helfrich.

"We need 50 new educators in the district in one go." You have to talk about the topic now, "not that we are suddenly extremely surprised".

State of emergency already in many communities in the district

Rapp took over the floor for the CSU.

"The shortage is not only in Murnau or Oberau, but in many other places in the district," assured the deputy district administrator.

Nurses are wanted everywhere.

In focus: educational staff.

"Without these specialists, we can no longer ensure the care." The subject has already been dealt with in the educational region.

The conclusion: "You have to strengthen the profession of educators and child care workers in the district."

The next technical schools are the private institution Regens Wagner in Rottenbuch and the state one in Starnberg.

"That's too far away, that makes the job unattractive," complained Helfrich, who himself runs the open all-day school at St. Irmengard in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

"There are definitely young people who are interested in it, but they have to drive a hell of a long way." Rapp emphasized that there was contact with Rottenbuch a few years ago.

The district was interested in opening a branch office in the region.

"We could have set up a specialist academy, not in competition with Rottenbuch." But as a supplement to the offer.

But: The legislature put a stop to it.

The government of Upper Bavaria ruled out joint ventures with a private provider.

CSU demand: A new start for a training offer in the district must be made

Now Rapp renewed the demand of the CSU: It takes a new attempt to create an offer.

His suggestion: "We could settle the training in the district, then hold the examination in the state office in Starnberg."

Greens and SPF join the demand

Rapp immediately found a comrade-in-arms in Veronika Jones.

"I would immediately welcome such a facility at district level," emphasized the member of the Greens parliamentary group.

But that didn't go far enough for her.

"We also need a solution for the time until something can be created." She suggested at least a bus transfer for schoolchildren.

In the city of Munich there is a program that guarantees a supplement to the salary for the educational staff. “We are also a district with high costs and rents.

We should turn all the screws we have.”

Helfrich also called for "establishing something in the district".

He again brought the care amendment into play from 2025: "Then we need educational staff, not unskilled workers."

There was little feedback on this initiative from the district administration.

District administrator Anton Speer (FW) only noted that he classifies the topic as "very important".

But he made a promise: "We will check the matter as soon as possible."