With personnel shifts, the carrier Kreisjugendring manages to ensure continued operation for the time being. However, parents have to accept restrictions in terms of childcare – and this does not solve the shortage of staff in the long term.
Parents and children of the Schäferwiese kindergarten in Obermenzing can breathe a sigh of relief: the feared temporary closure of the facility on March 1 due to an acute shortage of staff has been averted. “We have managed to ensure operations for the time being,” says Judith Greil, chairwoman of the district youth council. This was possible thanks to the support of educators from the other daycare centers of the provider, from the cooperative all-day in Freiham and from the KJR leisure centers.
However, the team that has now been found will only strengthen the remaining specialists at Schäferwiese for a limited time. During the carnival holidays, parents can only be offered limited childcare from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. From March 7th, the care time will then be gradually increased – to what extent depends on the availability of the employees.
However, Greil emphasizes that this variant cannot be a permanent solution. Because the colleagues are also “urgently needed for the local children and young people” in their original districts and facilities. Her commitment to the Schäferwiese leaves “gaps” in her current work area.
In Munich alone, at least 200 daycare centers are affected by group closures
The postponement also does not solve the fundamental problem of the blatant lack of staff. The position of deputy head of the Schäferwiese kindergarten has been vacant for some time. And from March onwards there will also be a lack of educators for two and a half full-time positions and three nannies. The Kreisjugendring has intensified its search for personnel and hopes to find the required specialist staff. However, he is confronted with the same difficulties as all day care centers. “We are currently looking for more than 20 specialists and supplementary staff for our eight day-care centers in Munich,” explains Greil. According to the city, 351 specialists are missing in the 450 day-care centers run by local authorities alone.
“Politicians have asked us to do everything in our power to continue operating the kindergarten,” says Greil. “We did that with great commitment.” Now it is up to politicians at state and federal level to improve the framework conditions for staff in the educational field.
Only recently did the Verdi union sound the alarm and warn that the system was about to collapse. According to union secretary Merle Pisarz, at least 200 daycare centers are affected by group closures in Munich alone. Due to the pandemic – but from Greil’s point of view, the root cause is the already very thin staffing level. It is therefore “only a matter of time”, according to the KVR boss, “until the next carrier can no longer avoid a closure”.