Staff shortage in Bavaria's daycare centers: communities are getting creative

Created: 05/24/2022, 09:48 am

By: Katrin Woitsch

A girl plays with colorful cups and building blocks in a day care center.

© Uwe Anspach/dpa

There is a major shortage of staff in many day-care centers.

There is a lack of skilled workers - that's why many families don't get a daycare place in the fall.

Munich - "We are upside down and need you" - with these words and three exclamation marks the Tegernseer Tal day care center advertises in a job advertisement for more staff.

Educators and nannies are desperately needed - not only in the district of Miesbach.

There are too few skilled workers, hardly any applications and as a result many rejections for families who were hoping for a daycare place from autumn.

Entire groups have already had to be closed twice in the Tegernsee valley.

There is currently one less group in the Schäftlarn-Aufkirchen day-care center network in the Starnberg district.

"We have fully equipped rooms - but no specialists," reports Sabine Jahn, head of administration.

But waiting lists.

The situation in Germering (district of Fürstenfeldbruck) is similar: 168 one- to three-year-olds did not get a place in a crèche, and 147 children did not get a place in a kindergarten.

The parents in Egling (Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district) recently received a letter from the town hall, which said that childcare in the new school year was in question.

The shortage of staff in the day-care centers is currently occupying many city and municipal councils in Bavaria.

Kitas Bayern: The situation has been getting worse and worse for years

The situation has been getting worse and worse for years, says Lisa Pfeiffer from the Bavarian Kita Specialists Association.

More and more teachers have left the profession.

"The workload has always been heavy - Corona has increased it again," she explains.

Pfeiffer reports that parents are expecting more and more from the facilities.

More specifications are coming from the ministry, and the documentation requirements are becoming more and more extensive.

"Actually, we would need a much higher personnel ratio to be able to handle everything," she says.

There is currently no longer a buffer for further training or illness.

But even with the current personnel key, many groups can no longer be maintained.

Many specialists have given up their jobs in recent years, reports Pfeiffer.

"Even though they love working with the children." Many lack appreciation, and the general conditions also make things difficult for them.

"Actually, we need a change in the law that improves the childcare ratio, for example," says Pfeiffer.

However, more skilled workers would be needed.

According to Pfeiffer, recruiting new colleagues for the profession is just as difficult as keeping the educators.

This is also due to the money: The classic educator training lasts four years, in the first year of the internship the trainees earn 521.63 euros with church organizations and around 25 euros more in the second year.

According to the trade association, some cities pay a little more, but during the two to three-year main study years at the academy, the young educators only receive student loans, but no salary, explains Pfeiffer.

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Kitas Bayern: Some municipalities are fighting the shortage of skilled workers on their own

Some municipalities are already trying to counteract the shortage of skilled workers on their own.

Bad Wiessee, for example, is also planning apartments for skilled workers in the new day-care centre.

The municipality of Egling also advertises staff housing and other benefits such as a travel allowance or loyalty bonuses.

She promises a reward of 1,250 euros for educators.

And Garmisch-Partenkirchen is considering locating its own technical school in the district so that the journeys for trainees are shorter - currently they have to commute to Rottenbuch or Starnberg.

Lisa Pfeiffer is pleased that many municipalities have recognized the problem.

"But the bonuses often lure skilled workers away from another district - then new holes appear," she explains.

It would be fairer if everyone got the same working conditions and support, she emphasizes.

The tariff agreement means 130 to 180 euros more per month for the educators, and two days off are also planned.

However, Pfeiffer does not know how this can be implemented without more staff.

In principle, too, the joy of the educators about the collective agreement was restrained, reports Pfeiffer.

"That's why no one will return to work."