Status: 06.04.2022 4:30 p.m
A survey shows that the staffing situation in German day-care centers is drastically worsening. According to this, around 9,000 facilities were able to meet the requirements for supervision on less than every other day last year.
According to a survey, the shortage of staff in German day-care centers is increasing. This is the result of a survey of daycare managers published on the occasion of the German Kita Management Congress (DKLK). “An estimated 9,000 daycare centers in Germany worked more than half the time in the past year with understaffing that is relevant to supervision. That’s more than twice as many daycare centers as a year earlier,” said Udo Beckmann, Federal Chairman of the Association for Education and Training (VBE).
“Translated, this means that these facilities were only able to maintain operations on average more than every other day if the safety of the children to be cared for was endangered,” says Beckmann. In the representative study, 84 percent of the 4,827 day-care center managers surveyed nationwide stated that the staff shortage had worsened over the past twelve months. A year earlier, 72 percent had said this.
High mental stress
Another challenge are the children who fled from the Ukraine to Germany, says Beckmann. These particularly needy children must be given everything that is necessary. However, the daycare system is on the verge of collapse and now needs more resources than ever. In addition to the children, the adults also suffered from the lack of staff, because this led to a considerable burden on the educational staff.
At 82 percent, the majority of daycare managers feel psychologically stressed by the activity, as reported by the association. 54 percent of those surveyed perceived physical stress. Every fourth day-care center manager reported having gone to work up to 20 days in the last twelve months, although they did not feel able to work for health reasons.
According to Beckmann, politicians must do everything possible “without ifs and buts” to improve this situation. For the DKLK study 2022, a total of 4,827 day-care center administrators were surveyed online from December 2021 to February 1, 2022. The survey was conducted for the sixth time.