A child plays in a daycare center. © Sebastian Gollnow/dpa/Illustration
The waiting lists for a crèche or kindergarten place are long: A total of 316 girls and boys have currently not received a place for the new year of care in the city.
Germering – In comparison, the supply situation in day-care centres has deteriorated further. The responsible head of office, Martin Rattenberger, presented the current figures after the end of enrolments in the daycare centres to the Social Affairs Committee. Key message: "We cannot meet the legal right to a childcare place for children from the age of one." However, this is not a Germering-specific problem, Rattenberger continued, but a nationwide one: "All municipalities are in the same situation as we are."
According to Rattenberger, there are 147 eligible children, one to three-year-olds, who are currently not getting a place in the crèche area. In addition, there are 33 young Germeringers who will only be one year old in the course of the year, but have already been registered.
The situation is similar in the kindergarten sector. There, 598 girls and boys were registered. 35 were born after the cut-off date and are not eligible until later in the year. Because only 384 places can be occupied for the new school year, 179 children go away empty-handed.
Main problem: shortage of skilled workers
The fact that there are such long waiting lists is not due to the number of places that are available spatially. In total, there are 1500 in the kindergarten area and 550 in the crèches. But not all of them can be substantiated. On the one hand, not all children leave daycare at the end of the school year. According to Rattenberger, however, the biggest problem is the still blatant shortage of skilled workers. 153 kindergarten and 29 crèche places cannot be occupied only because there is a lack of staff – the rooms would actually be available. The administration is working hard to find more educators and other specialists by September. For this reason, the company is also in close contact with the non-municipal providers of the facilities.
Another major problem with kindergarten places is the fact that more and more parents of children born between July and September are starting their children a year later. The number of deferrals of these so-called corridor children has increased by 20 percent compared to the previous year.
However, Martin Rattenberger also pointed out that the figures have not changed much overall compared to 2022. At that time, 315 crèche and kindergarten children were without a place at the same time, now there are 316.
Mayor: Situation is dramatic
Mayor Andreas Haas called the situation unsatisfactory and dramatic for the parents. The telephones in the social welfare and youth welfare office, but also in the town hall, are no longer silent.
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Christian Huber (Greens) raised the question of whether the city could no longer accommodate all registered children even if sufficient staff were available. Martin Rattenberger replied in the affirmative. This is due to the lack of places in the kindergarten St. Cäcilia I, which the church is known to have closed.
Thuy Wegmair (CSU), herself a mother of two children of kindergarten age, praised the city for its efforts – even if it did not get a crèche place last year: "All employees in the office are making an effort."
When asked why the need for places has obviously increased, Rattenberger replied: "The number of children is increasing. We have a strong influx of young families, especially with children of crèche age."
Kita consultant Johannes Landendinger (Greens) also took up the cudgels for the administration: "The city is in close contact with all providers. The staff tries everything to help the parents. We'll keep at it."
Franziska Hotter (CSU), who also has children of kindergarten age, confirmed to the city that a lot is being done. The problem is that you have to start at a higher level in order to make the profession of kindergarten teachers more attractive.
You can find even more up-to-date news from the Fürstenfeldbruck district on Merkur.de/Fürstenfeldbruck.