Kamenz. Head of the Department of Education Wilfried Kühner presents almost 2.9 million euros in funding for the new day-care center at the Westlausitz School in Lessingstadt.
The Arbeiterwohlfahrt Kreisverband Lausitz e. V., which runs the “Hort Kami Kids” facility, is planning to build a new single-storey building with a play garden. The new, modern day-care center building will expand the existing 57 childcare places by 13 to a total of 70. In addition to the expanded childcare capacity, the focus is also on improving the quality of all-day care. The total construction costs amount to around 4.8 million euros. The funding comes from the federal government’s GanzInvest fund.
It was a happy day, said Jörg Szewczyk, the first deputy of the Bautzen district. In his welcoming speech, he thanked the Free State and the federal government for their support. AWO Managing Director Marcus Beier pointed out that the current space was limited and that there was an increasing demand for childcare places. He said: “A special place is being created here that invites people to learn and play.”
Children like butterflies
Wilfried Kühner, head of the education department, stated that the new building was important in three respects. Firstly, it would create a permanent new infrastructure. Secondly, it was not just about inclusion but also about cooperation with special needs schools. And it would also strengthen cooperation on site. He referred to a quote by Goethe, according to which a building must be well founded. This will undoubtedly be the case in Kamenz. It is about the children being able to develop further in the new facility. Wilfried Kühner borrowed a quote from the facility’s website: “Children are like butterflies in the wind. Some can fly higher than others, but each individual flies as well as he can.”
Facility manager Katja Förster is happy that the new building is now becoming a reality. She said: “We have been looking forward to it for a long time. Our facility has very specific requirements; for example, the children have a great need for movement and there are special behavioral issues. All of this will be taken into account in the new building; there is more space.”
At the school, which focuses on learning support, 215 students in 17 classes are taught and supervised by 26 teachers, a teaching specialist, an assistant and a school social worker. The new building is scheduled to be completed in mid-2027.
