Report: Germany lacks thousands of daycare spots for children

There is a shortage of around 430,000 daycare places in Germany, despite the legal entitlement to childcare facilities, according to a study.

Although there has been progress in the expansion of daycare centres, demand has risen continuously and the situation is now “unbearable,” the Bertelsmann Foundation wrote in a report published on Tuesday.

The analysis identifies a crisis in childcare centres and calls for vigorous short and long-term measures.

Since 2013, children have had a legal entitlement to a childcare place after their first birthday. For children aged 3 and older, the entitlement has existed since 1996.

According to the report, more and more parents are looking for childcare for their younger offspring in particular. The shortage is correspondingly high, especially for children under 3 years old.

The lack of staff is still a serious problem, the foundation writes.

The report also identifies clear regional differences. In the western German states, there is a shortage of 385,900 daycare spots, while the eastern states lack 44,700.

In the east, however, the staffing ratio is much less favourable, with one full-time specialist responsible for 5.4 children under the age of 3, compared to 3.4 specialists in the western states.

For children aged 3 and older, eastern states see an average of 10.5 staffing specialists, compared to 7.7 in the west.

The shortage of skilled staff is making it increasingly difficult for daycare centres to fulfil their educational mission. “The situation has become unbearable for children and parents as well as for the existing staff,” education expert Anette Stein of the Bertelsmann Foundation said.

©dpa