There is a lack of care staff and premises in Haar. (Symbolic image) © Christian Bark
There is a lack of staff and rooms in kindergartens in Haar. Now the municipality is working on an action plan, which it would like to present to parents at the end of June.
Haar – There are several "construction sites" that are being worked on in the town hall. A shortage of skilled workers and a lack of rooms for kindergarten care are causing headaches for the Haar administration. 152 children are on the waiting list, the municipality is now working on an action plan and is also discussing the staffing ratio. On 28 June, the aim is to show parents who have been rejected for a childcare place in recent weeks short-term and medium-term measures and projects in the community centre.
Shortly after Marietta Ernst, head of the department, presented "the bad figures" to the municipal council, the municipality held talks with potential new sponsors and also future cooperation partners. One issue here is the shortage of skilled workers, as the providers are currently lacking 26 employees. In order to accommodate the existing cooperation partners, Haar wants to discuss the amount of the personnel key in the municipal council, which is decisive for the deficit subsidy, so that more staff can look after the children's groups, which would minimize the overload of the employees. Consideration is also being given to stand-in staff who can replace pedagogical specialists for a limited period of time in the short term. One reason why so many parents need a place is the massive influx in recent years, but also that more and more often both parents have to work due to inflation and the increased cost of living.
Too busy with an anniversary party?
But even if all sponsors were able to fill all vacant staff positions in September, 53 children would still not find a childcare place – because then the appropriate premises would be missing. The municipality has now identified two objects that are being examined to see whether childcare would be possible in them. In addition, they want to work on new large day care centers that could quickly accommodate children.
The SPD Haar criticises the fact that there is no longer enough space for childcare: "The municipality and the mayor have not built any new childcare facilities in three years and have not even planned them, even though many families are moving to Haar. Then, of course, there is a lack of capacity," says SPD local chairman Raul Würfl. Obviously, the town hall had set the wrong priorities and a "wrong understanding of planning". Instead of devoting themselves to the development of childcare, the comrades wonder whether too much energy has not been put into the organization of the 950th anniversary celebration and into the establishment of an economic development agency. "New care facilities need to be planned quickly, preferably in existing buildings, to enable faster implementation. For newly built apartments, childcare places must be taken into account again and the offers for skilled workers must be further improved, training opportunities must be created in order to secure the next generation of skilled workers," the SPD demands.
Action plan to be presented on 28 June
The municipal council faction of the CSU suggests a central offer of in-service training to become a qualified specialist located in Haar. In addition, the employment of housekeepers on a part-time basis in each municipal day care center and the guarantee of a weekly preparation time of two hours per week for each pedagogical worker. An employee discount for the care of one's own children at a discounted apartment rental should also be considered in order to attract employees. Incorporated into a step-by-step plan, the proposals are intended to promote the satisfaction of "our pedagogical staff with their jobs – with the aim of retaining them and making it easier to recruit new ones," according to the CSU.
The municipality plans to present the action plan on Wednesday, June 28, at 18:30 p.m. in the community center.
More news from Haar and the district of Munich can be found here.