23.08.2024 Current news
The childcare options for primary school-age children are to be expanded. Applications for funding can now be submitted in all 16 federal states.
Funding applications for the expansion of all-day education and care for primary school children can now be submitted in all 16 federal states© Fotolia/Robert Kneschke
By the end of 2027, the federal government will provide almost three billion euros for the quantitative and qualitative expansion of all-day education and care for primary school children. The federal and state governments have now agreed on the respective state programs. Applications for funding can now be submitted in all 16 federal states.
Federal Minister for Family Affairs Lisa Paus: “The time when school starts presents many parents with new childcare situations. We are supporting the federal states in expanding their capacities to ensure reliable, high-quality childcare for primary school children. The all-day investment program is now being launched nationwide. The states can use almost three billion euros by 2027: for more all-day places, the recruitment of specialist staff, and for the conversion and furnishing of rooms. High-quality all-day care gives children a boost on their educational path – regardless of their parents’ home. We are also pursuing this goal with the recently approved further development of daycare, for which the federal government is investing four billion euros by 2026. This is followed by the agreement on the investment program: In all 16 federal states, our country will become more family-friendly through the expansion of all-day care, because all 16 states are expanding their offerings.
We see that there is currently a childcare gap. At the same time, the need for full-day care is constantly increasing. Currently, 1.8 million primary school children, or 56 percent, are taking advantage of it. This trend needs to be increased: too many parents, especially mothers, work part-time involuntarily for childcare reasons. More full-day care is crucial for reconciling longer working hours and family, especially in times of a shortage of skilled workers.”
Federal Minister of Education Bettina Stark-Watzinger: “Good education and care options are the key to better educational opportunities and more equal opportunities. It is all the more important to start early and to provide all-day education and care for children of primary school age. With the Start Opportunities program, we are specifically supporting schools where the challenges are greatest. At the same time, we want to create high-quality all-day offers for as many schoolchildren and parents as possible. Because early childhood education is more important than ever and there is still a lot of catching up to do here. That is why we are now using nationwide funding to further advance the expansion of all-day care for children of primary school age. In this way, we want to create the conditions to meet the legal right to all-day care for children of primary school age, which will gradually come into force from 2026.”
Federal government supports states and municipalities
The financial aid is granted for additional investment measures by the federal states, municipalities and municipal associations for the quantitative or qualitative expansion of all-day education and care offerings. It can be used for new construction, conversion, expansion – including the acquisition of buildings and land -, renovation including energy-related renovation and the equipment of all-day education and care offerings. The basis for the all-day expansion investment program is a corresponding administrative agreement, which was already signed by the federal and state governments in spring 2023.
Legal right to full-day education and care
The investment program for the expansion of all-day schools is closely linked to the legal right to all-day education and care for children of primary school age, which was regulated in the All-Day Support Act (Ga-FöG) in 2021. From the 2026/27 school year, the legal right will apply to children from grade one onwards. It will then continue gradually until, in the 2029/30 school year, all children in grades one to four have a legal right to all-day education and care.
