Dramatic staff emergency in Brunnthaler children's home

Created: 11/26/2022, 2:30 p.m

By: Stefan Weinzierl

One teacher, many children: there is a lack of staff in day-care centers.

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The shortage of staff in the Gänseliesl children's home in the Faistenhaar district, which is run by the AWO district association in Munich-Land, is so dramatic that the parents even fear that the facility will be closed.

Brunnthal

- Since January of this year, the staffing situation in the children's home, which actually houses a three-stream kindergarten and a crèche group, has deteriorated extremely.

Gradually almost all teachers and nannies resigned.

"The reasons are varied," says AWO board member Diana Klöpper, citing moving away and pregnancy as examples.

Staff were also enticed away by a company daycare center that pays more than the collective wage agreement.

According to Klöpper, there was no special problem in the facility - apart from the poor transport connections and the associated long journeys for the employees.

"There is a general shortage of skilled workers, which affects all providers and all communities in the district," she emphasizes.

Staff overwhelmed by understaffing

However, the gradual loss of staff, which the AWO was initially unable to counteract with anything or too little, had fatal consequences: According to the parents' association, the facility had to go into emergency operation again and again, and the remaining staff were partly overwhelmed due to understaffing.

The consequence: A kindergarten group no longer opened after the summer holidays.

In the meantime, the management of the children's home has also resigned.

The super meltdown for everyone involved.

"We are really desperate," says a concerned mother.

The parents are afraid that the kindergarten will have to close by March at the latest and then there will be no more care.

Closing not an option for mayors

Mayor Kern wants to take away this fear from mothers and fathers.

"I don't have the option of closing the facility," he says and has declared the personnel problem at the Gänseliesl children's home to be a top priority.

The municipality recently made available 100,000 euros so that the AWO can search for staff more effectively and get the situation under control – for example with the help of the placement of workers by personnel service providers.

Recruit personnel with image films and radio advertising

According to Klöpper, the AWO is now even recruiting staff using radio spots and image films on social networks.

In addition, a so-called personal recruiter has been hired to look for suitable employees.

The situation in the children's home is currently stable, partly thanks to the support of specialists from other AWO facilities.

"At the moment the company is running," says Kern, but also admits that things are still tense.

On the one hand, because they still haven't found a new manager for the kindergarten, on the other hand, because 20 girls and boys from Brunnthal are on a waiting list because there is currently no childcare place for them in town.

That is why he is urging the AWO to recruit enough staff so that the kindergarten can go back to full operation as quickly as possible.

Deadline until March 2023

According to the workers' welfare office, the municipality has set a deadline: "We have a time window until March 2023 to stabilize the facility.

Otherwise the sponsorship reverts to the municipality of Brunnthal,” says Klöpper.

Kern, on the other hand, actually wants to avoid changing carriers.

After all, there are also personnel problems with other carriers.

"And building a whole new facility takes forever."