Würzburg and Schweinfurt: Daycare places secured for all small children!

Würzburg and Schweinfurt: Daycare places secured for all small children!

The situation on the German daycare market has changed noticeably in recent years. In Würzburg and Schweinfurt, two cities in Bavaria, an encouraging trend can be observed: the shortage of childcare places for small children appears to be improving significantly. Loud Radio gong In Schweinfurt, all small children who need a place now have access to a daycare center. Around 450 children under the age of three are currently cared for here, which corresponds to around a third of the corresponding age group.

But there are also positive developments in Würzburg. At 50 percent, the city has the highest care rate in Bavaria. While a year ago there were over 550 children on waiting lists, this number has now been more than halved. There are currently only around 270 children under the age of three waiting for a place. The relaxation on the daycare market is due, among other things, to the declining birth rates, as the study by the German Economic Institute shows.

Active measures to create places

Cities have actively created new places. Two new daycare centers were opened in Schweinfurt in 2023, and two more are already being planned. There is also significant investment in Würzburg: new daycare centers are being built here and existing facilities, for example at Hubland or in Grombühl and Heidingsfeld, are being renovated and expanded. This shows that both the city administration and those responsible locally have a good knack for solving the lack of space.

But despite these positive developments, the need for childcare places remains high. A successful investigation of the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth confirms that 98 percent of parents want day care for children from the age of three until they start school. Currently, however, only 91.6 percent of parents have received a daycare or day care place for their children. For children under three, the gap between supply and actual demand is 14.6 percentage points.

Financial support and shortage of skilled workers

In order to meet the challenges, the federal government is investing a total of around 3.8 billion euros in expanding child day care, while 6.5 billion euros from the special fund are available for this important task. This is urgently needed as unplanned closing times in daycare centers are a current problem due to a lack of staff. The Federal Statistical Office continuously collects data about daycare centers, approved places and the skilled workers available in order to get an overview of the care available and the demand.

In conclusion, the expansion of daycare centers in Bavaria is gaining momentum, but there is still a long way to go to meet the needs of all parents in the region. Above all, attracting and retaining educational staff will be crucial in order to ensure the quality of care offerings in the long term.