Whether food, heating or electricity – the costs are increasing. And with it the daycare contributions. Some parents are already considering reducing childcare times.
Due to rising costs, many daycare centers in Bavaria are increasing their contributions or are planning to do so in the near future. The Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) spoke of “worrying cost increases for all social and nursing facilities”. In addition to higher personnel expenses, the costs for energy and catering have increased, said spokesman Sohrab Taheri-Sohi.
Several daycare centers have already had to increase the contributions, including those in the Upper Bavarian district of Starnberg. But there are regional differences. This is also due to the fact that the operating cost subsidy from the Ministry of Social Affairs in Munich only covers 60 to 65 percent of the operating costs, according to the Evangelische Kita-Verband Bayern. The voluntary services provided by the municipalities also varied greatly.
About 40 percent of the municipalities paid nothing at all, said CFO Dirk Rumpff. That is why many carriers are currently discussing how they could absorb the cost increases. “The biggest problem at the moment is the uncertainty in economic planning,” he said. “The energy price brakes were only decided at the end of last year, and no statement can be made about the amount of further financing at the moment.”
According to its own information, the Bavarian Ministry of Social Affairs decided in November to provide hardship aid for non-municipal social institutions. “The implementation details are currently being finalized,” said Minister Ulrike Scharf (CSU). However, the AWO state association does not consider this to be sufficient to avoid increases in contributions. “It is actually the case that daycare centers pass on increased fees to the parents up to a certain amount,” says the board. The hardship fund is only intended for emergencies and will not support all facilities.
According to AWO, the main factor contributing to the cost increases is that the caterers have increased their prices, which has increased the food contributions. “The care costs, on the other hand, cannot always be adjusted because there is a cap for them in some places, for example in Munich,” says the board.
The municipal day-care centers in Nuremberg are also feeling the effects of rising energy costs. According to the city, the fees are regulated by a statute that is fixed until the daycare year 2025/2026 and does not allow short-term increases. The next regular increase is therefore planned for September 1st. In view of the tense financial situation, the BRK calls for better state support for daycare centers. “Short-term relief packages will not remedy this in the long term,” said Taheri-Sohi. The state contributions to day-care center financing are currently increasing only insufficiently. “Quick and pragmatic relief and solutions must now follow,” he demanded. A day-care center should not become a luxury item for families.