Around 500 parents and children demonstrated in front of the Vaterstetten town hall for better childcare. © Photo: die
"Not a storage facility, but an educationally valuable care" demanded around 500 parents and children from the municipality of Vaterstetten. Mayor Leonhard Spitzauer (CSU) announces a "round table" – and also financial commitment from the municipality.
Vaterstetten – With whistles, rattles and large posters, the demonstration marches approached the town hall from two different directions. There they united under the sounds of loud children's disco music. Around 500 parents and children came to show: "It stinks to us", as initiator Kerstin Lottritz put it. There is a catastrophic shortage of staff in the day-care centres, in some cases groups are reduced, sometimes even closed completely. Again and again, only emergency care is offered. Parents would not even get a place in the lunchtime care. However, they have reached the limit of the load, Lottritz explained. After three years of pandemic, "we just can't take it anymore." Working mothers may not have to compensate for the shortage. "We know that it is a nationwide problem, but in local competition, Vaterstetten is worse off than its neighbors," says Lottritz. There, allowances would be paid and apartments would be made available. "We need that in Vaterstetten too." Otherwise, the staff will migrate. It is not enough just to build buildings.
"Make sure there is a better situation on the ground so that educators enjoy working here." Lorna Stephen from the Association of Kita Professionals in Bavaria campaigned for a whole list of legislative changes that could make the work of staff easier. She called the demonstration in front of the Vaterstetten town hall "a goal-oriented action". Mayor Leonhard Spitzauer (CSU) first had to fight for the microphone for his statement. Because the organizers wanted to play a little children's music first. "Since we are standing in front of the town hall, I have to bow," said Lottritz annoyed and granted the mayor only "three minutes of open speaking time". The childcare situation is a "big problem," Spitzauer admitted. For years, the municipality has focused primarily on the creation of places. "We don't need houses, we need staff," one mother interjected.
Personnel recruitment is not solely in the hands of the municipality, said Spitzauer. That's why they decided on a large number of carriers. To alleviate the problems, Vaterstetten is also willing to make a financial commitment. "We have to think about where the money is going to come from." It must be clear to the parents that they could also be involved here. Another idea is to relieve the educators of certain tasks by subsidizing external forces. However, it is also true that the sponsors AWO and Kinderland would refuse to pay the Munich allowance. "I'm in favor of all carriers paying for it."
The mayor now wants to talk to the daycare and parent representatives at a "round table" on June 12 about the current situation and problems of each individual facility and work on ideas for solutions. the
