A new alliance demands skilled workers in day-care centers and criticizes a planned change in the law. The state government defends the plans, which are intended to facilitate lateral entry.
In Hesse, an “Alliance for Early Education” (BFB) has been founded, which advocates for skilled workers in day care centers. The background is the last reading of the planned amendment to the Hessian Child and Youth Welfare Act this Tuesday. According to the will of the state government, this should help to employ more career changers in order to counteract the large shortage of staff in day-care centers.
The new alliance sees the plans critically because it will “soften” who is allowed to work as a specialist. “We are concerned about the developments in Hesse in relation to child welfare and children’s rights in day care centers,” said Verena König from the Hesse Kita Specialists Association, which is part of the initiative. Due to the framework conditions, it is already difficult for professionals to respond appropriately to the needs of children. “How is this supposed to be possible when 25 percent of untrained employees are faced with these challenges?” König asked on Monday.
In addition to the Kita-Facharbeiter-Verband, the Education and Science Union (GEW), Verdi and the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) Hessen-Thüringen belong to the alliance. It calls for sticking to the definition of skilled worker, a training and further education offensive and less stress from smaller groups. Employees without training should also be trained in advance and accompanied externally, and trainees should not have to pay school fees.
Jana Beißert, union secretary at Verdi, fears that pedagogical work would otherwise be deprofessional and specialists would be devalued. The GEW warned of a downward spiral as a result of the change in the law. It is already anything but easy to attract and retain skilled workers.
“Education is the essential prerequisite for participation and equal opportunities,” emphasized Renate Sternatz, Vice-Chairman of the DGB Hessen-Thuringia. In Hesse, significantly more daycare centers, daycare places and staff would have to be provided.
Approval for the alliance came from the opposition in the Landtag. For example, Petra Heimer (left) said there were many measures for better training and working conditions that the state government refused because they cost money. According to the FDP, it joined the alliance because the law means that every fourth educator can be replaced by a non-skilled worker, which endangers educational opportunities.
The government had defended plans to also use speech therapists and occupational therapists. Claudia Ravensburg, socio-political spokeswoman for the CDU, said in May in the state parliament that the lack of training could be replaced by a “pedagogical competence profile”. Persons who have relevant knowledge and practical experience would then also be admitted as skilled workers after an examination. The facilities could “profitably supplement and set up multi-professional” existing teams.
A study by the Bertelsmann Foundation came to the conclusion that there will be a shortage of around 37,200 childcare places in Hesse in 2023.
2023-07-17 17:49:16
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