Too few crèche places in Gmund - the municipality must find a solution

Created: 12/06/2022, 2:30 p.m

By: Gerti Reichl

The Zwergenburg crèche was opened in 2013 and expanded in 2020.

Because it is again too small, Gmund has to think about new construction or expansion.

© Thomas Plettenberg

Gmund has to think again about expanding childcare.

The municipal council discussed future needs and agreed to deepen the subject in a retreat.

Gmund - "It's the unpleasant truth, but we need more places." Mayor Alfons Besel (FWG) got into the subject of childcare, which was on the agenda at the most recent municipal council meeting in view of the increasing demand.

Besel initially took a general position on the equally challenging problem: the shortage of skilled workers.

"The federal and state governments set guidelines and we have to implement them," he said in view of the high requirements.

It is important to support families and to support the compatibility of family and career.

Then we went into detail: Even if the number of births is relatively constant between 56 and 65 births per year, there are more people moving to Gmund than people moving out, the mayor knew and was sure that the densification of the place would also have an impact.

Nursery in Gmund: 20 children on the waiting list

Concrete numbers, which were determined by the administration, were available at the meeting.

The Zwergenburg crèche, which opened in 2013 and was expanded in 2020, has 42 places.

About 20 children are on the waiting list.

According to forecasts, four more groups and 16 additional specialists will be needed in the future.

Coverage of less than 40 percent is far from sufficient.

The district office recommends targeting 90 percent coverage for a new building.

That means: an increase of 66 places or six to seven groups.

The crèche group in the KiTaLou company kindergarten has twelve places and is mainly occupied by non-resident children and only two from Gmund. There are not enough places here either.

About the kindergarten: The Gmunder Pius-Kinderhaus currently offers 147 places, five children are on the waiting list.

Although the requirement is currently 95 percent covered, this rate will drop to 80 percent from 2024. From next year at least one more group will be needed, depending on the move, even two, according to the calculation.

The company kindergarten KiTaLou offers 25 places, with only five children from Gmund being accommodated there, the rest come from other communities.

Regarding the school children: The municipality has determined that 25 after-school care places and 80 places in lunchtime care are available.

This means that almost 50 percent of the children can be looked after after school.

By 2027, 30 to 50 additional places will be needed - with a coverage of 60 to 70 percent.

"Children who start school in 2026 have a legal right to all-day care from 2026," Besel pointed out and summarized: "We need a strategy and have to come up with something." There was an exam in the room, at the beginning of next year that topic should be deepened.

It should be about different variants: On the one hand, the expansion of the crib on Bichlmairstraße on the grounds of the Catholic Church, about the possibility of which Martina Ettstaller (CSU) inquired.

The currently high traffic volume could speak against it, but the unit with the kindergarten for it.

Crèche places in Gmund: New construction in Dürnbach brought up for discussion

Third Mayor Christine Zierer (FWG) could well imagine a new building in Dürnbach as a second location.

Maria Kaulfersch (FWG) was also in favor of building a new crèche and gave three reasons: the large number of people moving to Gmund, the general trend to place children in crèches early and the financial aspect.

"Many parents simply can no longer afford one earner." Josef Stecher (FWG) called for regular needs planning and predicted a childcare rate of 60 percent.

In the end it was clear to everyone: Gmund had to tackle the issue of childcare again, and the exam was unanimously decided as the best solution.

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