German Childcare System Faces Strain Despite Staffing Increases
Jana Frey, who runs a daycare center in Munich, embodies a growing sentiment among childcare professionals in Germany: despite recent efforts to bolster staffing levels, fundamental issues within the system remain unresolved. While an influx of new personnel is being observed, particularly in Bavaria, the core challenges of demanding workloads and a lack of societal appreciation continue to weigh heavily on those working in the field.
Frey, a former development aid worker who transitioned to childcare in her early 40s, finds fulfillment in her work with children. However, she questions whether she would choose the same path today, given the current conditions. “It’s nice to work with children. They give you a lot back,” she said. “But if I were 20 today and knew that I would have to do this job for another 50 years, I don’t know whether I would choose it again. Under the current conditions, the work is very strenuous.”
A recent study suggests that Germany may have sufficient skilled workers in childcare by 2027. Frey acknowledges a noticeable shift in Bavaria, with more applications for positions and a decline in birth rates. However, she emphasizes that simply increasing numbers isn’t enough. “The decisive factor is the number of children cared for by each specialist. The care ratios urgently need to be improved.”
The daily reality for many childcare workers involves managing large groups of children. Frey describes a typical scenario: “Most of the time there are two of us looking after 25 kindergarten children or twelve crèche children. When a child has to go to the toilet and needs help, one is alone with 24 children.”
The influx of new staff, including those recruited from abroad, presents its own set of challenges. While welcoming the diverse perspectives and skills these professionals bring, Frey notes that they often come with different training and approaches. “A lot of great people came,” she said. “But they have different training and are used to different processes. There are also many childcare workers or educators who are newly trained and have sometimes undergone new types of training. Many teams first have to get used to it. Here’s exciting, but it takes time.”
Beyond staffing, Frey points to evolving societal needs and the impact of technology on children. She notes that families have increasingly diverse needs, and that more children are spending significant time with electronic devices, potentially impacting their concentration spans.
Frey’s primary wish for policymakers is a period of stabilization for the childcare system. “The daycare system urgently needs a breather,” she said. “We would like to see a better support ratio until the teams are well-established with the many new specialists. This proves clear to us that investments are necessary in many areas. But the Bavarian daycare system has grown so dramatically that we now urgently need a phase of stabilization. That would allow us to catch up in terms of quality. The quantitative expansion was important, but came at the expense of quality.”
Frey believes that the current care ratios hinder the ability to provide truly individualized attention to each child, as outlined in the Bavarian education and upbringing plan. “How is that supposed to work when a diverse daycare team reinvents itself in a changing daycare system and two educators are responsible for 25 children?” she asks.
Frey also emphasizes the need for greater societal respect for the profession. “The profession of educator does not enjoy enough respect in our society,” she said. “Meeting the needs of so many children every day is an art and requires a high level of emotional and social skills.”
