The municipal children's home in Wartenberg celebrates its birthday on Saturday, May 13. © Klaus Kuhn
The municipal house for children Wartenberg celebrates its 30th anniversary on Saturday with speeches, music and games.
Wartenberg – On Saturday, May 13, there will be a party to celebrate in Wartenberg: The municipal children's home will be 30 years old. It began in 1993 as a kindergarten with three groups. In the same year, the first after-school care group was added. "That was something special back then," says today's director Sylvia Kebesch in an interview with the local newspaper.
The house was expanded twice, and even more often additional functions were added, such as the crèche groups or the integrative kindergarten group, which turned the kindergarten into the house for children. The current headmistress came to the kindergarten on September 1, 1995, "that's been quite a while". So she has also experienced all the construction sites, most recently the general renovation, which was completed only a few months ago.
Today there are three crèche and five kindergarten groups, one of which is an integrative group. 148 children use the facility, 24 employees take care of them. Many of them are part-time employees, as Kebesch continues. And all these children, employees, parents and representatives of the community want to celebrate together tomorrow.
The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. The keynote speaker is Minister of State Ulrike Scharf, Mayor Christian Pröbst and the Deputy District Administrator have also announced their attendance. The district music school will provide the musical accompaniment, and there will be plenty of opportunities for the children to play, which of course also makes them hungry. That's why food and drink are also provided.
What about the future of the facility? As reported, a carrier is to be sought. Behind closed doors, one has already been named, but that is not even rudimentary. Kebesch makes it clear: "I'm not afraid of the future." She is aware of the considerations, but does not want to comment on them, especially since that is not her decision.
Nevertheless, the educator is worried: "What really makes me rumble in my stomach is the lack of skilled workers." She does not overlook the efforts of practically all mayors to get skilled workers for the day-care centers. "It's just a market."
The facility itself is at full capacity: "We're pretty full now." In doing so, she wanted the "quite" to be emphasized, because of course a limited contingent of places must always be kept free for possible arrivals throughout the year. This is ensured, and this is an imperative necessity because of the legal claim. In principle, therefore, one hundred percent utilization must be assumed.