As of: February 16, 2024, 3:34 p.m
By: Josef Hornsteiner
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Costs the community a lot of money: the Kunterbunt daycare center in Oberammergau.
© bartl
Due to increased costs in the two daycare centers, the municipality of Oberammergau is currently running a deficit of 900,000 euros per year.
That's why she's increasing the fees from September 1st.
The statutes will also be adjusted: Parents will be able to register their children online in the future.
Oberammergau – The space situation in the two Oberammergau daycare centers “is incredibly tense,” says Eva Raggl, who is responsible for the facilities at the municipality’s headquarters.
There are still enough daycare places, but how long this will be the case is questionable.
“We make progress from year to year,” confirms managing director Christian Ostler.
The question of more daycare places will probably come sooner than feared.
Raggl and Ostler made this clear to the local council.
An increase in fees and some changes to the statutes for the daycare centers were on the agenda.
The prices for children between the ages of three and those starting school will increase by around ten percent from September 1, 2024.
Means monthly: For four hours in the morning, the core time, 120 euros will be due instead of 110 euros.
For five hours of care, this is already 135 euros instead of the previous 121 euros.
And anyone who leaves their child in the care of the daycare center for more than nine hours pays 210 euros instead of 176 euros.
Lunch and break meals are each five euros more expensive per month.
The annual deficit for the municipality is 900,000 euros
In the daycare center, i.e. for girls and boys under the age of three, the amount of care required is correspondingly higher, as the employees also have to change diapers and the like.
Here, four hours now cost 230 instead of 220. If you want to accommodate your children for nine hours, you pay 380 instead of 352 euros.
The increase is needed, they say.
Because the community's facilities cost a lot of money.
The annual deficit is 900,000 euros.
Oberammergau therefore subsidizes every single child with over 5,200 euros per year.
“Catering can no longer be offered to cover costs due to the increased personnel and food costs,” says Raggl.
The loss was over 12,145 euros for lunch alone in 2023.
The increases are therefore “urgently necessary”.
The local councilors also saw it that way.
They unanimously approved the new fee model.
But Raggl made it clear: the increase only reduces the deficit.
“It will continue to grow.”
Free State supports families with 100 euros per month
To ease the burden on families, the Free State of Bavaria pays a monthly subsidy of 100 euros per month towards the parental contribution from September 1st of a calendar year in which the child turns three until they start school.
Mothers and fathers with low incomes receive this from the child's first birthday.
In order to adapt the statutes to today's circumstances, the administration changed a few points.
In the future, a child will be registered in a community daycare center online.
The district has set up the “Little Bird” parent portal for this purpose.
A program that the employees still had to adjust to.
“It still has its pitfalls,” says Raggl.
But these should be cleared out as soon as possible.
What is also new is that, due to the tense crèche situation, girls and boys can be registered 18 months before the desired day of care begins.
A later admission during the current year is possible if there is a free place.
However, parents are only entitled to this three full calendar months after registration.