As of: March 7, 2024, 4:09 p.m
By: Hanna von Prittwitz
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Around 400 people, including many children, gathered before the special meeting of the local council in Weßling.
They demonstrated with posters against the increase in care costs.
© Andrea Jaksch
Weßling's local councilors decided on Tuesday evening to increase childcare fees from September 2024, albeit slightly modified.
The parents' disappointment is great.
Weßling
- A demo with around 400 people, a strong appearance by the parents in the local council, but from their point of view everything was in vain: The Weßlingen local council decided to increase the fees for child care in its special meeting on Tuesday evening in order to reduce the deficit by a total of 525,000 euros to cover the next few years.
The parents' compromise proposal was rejected, but the decision was slightly modified.
After that, the first adjustment will take place in the coming kindergarten year; it should cover 50 percent of the costs, which means fee increases of 43 to 73 percent for the care facilities.
The second increase planned for 2025/26 for the same amount will be split between 2025/26 and 2026/27.
A cost reduction is planned for the crèches.
The council also decided on a sibling discount of 25 percent for four children and ten percent for three children.
The demonstration
"Children are your future", "I'm five, I want to go to preschool" or "Only those with money and no children, what's the point of this" were emblazoned in colorful letters on posters that young and old placed in front of the town hall on Tuesday stretched high.
Among the many people who demonstrated against the increase in childcare fees were countless children and also many grandparents, who often step in when there are staff shortages in daycare centers.
Maria Quantz from the parents' interest group recalled in her speech that today mothers still primarily do the "care work" at home, "and they do it with all their heart and with pleasure."
But if childcare is no longer affordable, this will mean a setback in qualifications and possibly even the loss of a job, especially for women.
Mayor Michael Sturm recalled the local capacity for around 365 children, from daycare to primary school.
“It is important to me that we can maintain this with fees that are justifiable.” Elke Ammann-Merz handed over an online petition with 683 signatures.
The session
As reported, the parents had suggested increasing the contributions for kindergartens and after-school care by 40 percent and only once from September 2024. Lunchtime care should be ten euros more expensive instead of twice 40 euros.
At the special meeting, Franziska Thaler calculated examples and gave a factual lecture, after which she appealed on behalf of the parents to the local councilors to follow the parents' suggestion.
The parents once again confirmed that they wanted to help reduce the deficit through active help.
Thaler cited the founding of a support association, charity events and parental work as examples.
And she said: “We are seeing that everything that has been achieved, for example equal opportunities and equal rights, is being destroyed.
You can now make a statement.”
The discussion
The parents received respect for their commitment from all groups.
But there was little support for her proposal.
It was pointed out several times that cases of hardship could also be addressed to the community; Peter Weiß (FW) brought the community's social fund into discussion.
It was clear in the discussion that in the past the municipality had failed to adjust the fees at an early stage when costs were constantly rising.
“It was a mistake that we pushed it aside,” said Petra Slawisch (Greens).
Rasso von Rebay (FW) had no objection to including the parents' suggestion in the draft resolution and re-evaluating it year after year: "If we have different numbers, we can react differently."
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The councilors across the board emphasized that they had dealt intensively with the issue.
And the community and parents have to join forces against the state government, which has to pay higher subsidies.
“It’s not easy for us,” said Claus Angerbauer (SPD).
Günther Schöpp (CSU) emphasized that it was important to do something about the fee model “so that we remain able to act”.
Christian Zollner (FW) found that “many parents in Weßling can afford” the fees.
Others could apply for grants.
Gerhard Hippmann (Greens) liked the parents' suggestion.
“But it doesn’t make any contribution to consolidating the budget.” With regard to parental involvement, Clemens Pollok (Greens) spoke of a paradigm shift “in which we have to learn to become responsible for ourselves.”
Only Andreas Lechermann (CSU) could imagine the 40 percent increase for parents, “we must not overwhelm them”.
Lilly Reik (FW) suggested that we vote separately on the parents' proposal for a sibling discount, but this was rejected.
The parents wanted a 15 percent discount for the second child, 30 percent for the third and 50 percent for the fourth.
Currently ten percent applies from the second child onwards.
According to the local council's decision, the costs for an only child in kindergarten will rise from the previous 80 euros to up to 300 euros per month (from 2026).
The first reactions
There was disappointment among parents after the decision.
“We feel slowed down and I no longer feel like getting involved,” said one mother.
An evaluation next year would not change the situation, “no one is withdrawing from fee increases”.
The situation of the around 20 families with two children would now have worsened, for whom there would no longer be any discount.
Part-time jobs would hardly be worth it anymore: “That’s not a democracy and it’s not a compromise.”