Fewer children in daycare centers - SPD warns of daycare center deaths

The number of girls and boys in Saxony's daycare centers has fallen significantly. In March 2025, around 312,000 children were still being cared for there, around 7,500 fewer than a year earlier, the State Statistical Office announced. Within a year, the number of daycare centers in the state also fell by 15 and stood at 3,050 in March.

Minister: "With every child less, Saxony loses something of its future"

"With every child less, Saxony loses something of its future," commented Minister of Education Conrad Clemens (CDU) on the figures. By 2040, 25 percent fewer children are expected to attend elementary school. "A development that we will feel first in nurseries and kindergartens."

According to Clemens, the falling number of children will free up state funds. This money is already being used to improve the childcare ratio in nurseries. In future, crèches will also benefit from this. Around 210 additional full-time staff will then be available there.

Fewer staff in daycare centers

According to the statisticians, the number of daycare center staff also fell by around 2.4 percent within a year. Last March, around 43,000 women and men were still working in nurseries and crèches in the Free State.

Chemnitz plans to cut 1,000 nursery places

The city of Chemnitz, for example, recently announced plans to cut 1,000 nursery places in light of demographic change. Mergers of facilities are also being considered there.

SPD politicians warn of loss of federal funding

East German SPD politicians warned of a loss of federal funding in light of falling numbers of children in daycare centers and called for more support to maintain facilities and jobs. "Daycare structures are once again on the verge of collapse," wrote the spokespersons responsible for daycare centers from the SPD parliamentary groups in Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in a demand paper to be sent to Federal Education Minister Karin Prien (CDU).

Due to demographic change, the number of children in eastern Germany is falling rapidly, according to the paper. "This has serious social consequences. The well-educated and, above all, young professionals fear for their professional future," the Social Democrats noted.

Demographic change hits the east with force

While many regions in western Germany are desperately looking for specialist staff for daycare centers, demographic change is already hitting the eastern German states with force: child numbers are falling, daycare places remain vacant and facilities are closing in some places. According to the letter, the eastern states are trying to counteract this with various measures. However, this costs money.

The SPD politicians fear that the situation could worsen from 2027 because they have so far been able to use funds from the federal Childcare Quality Act to improve staffing ratios and recruit specialist staff. "The planned discontinuation of federal funding for these areas of action is not justifiable," explained the SPD politicians.

Draft law on early childhood education pending

Education Minister Prien had announced that she would present a draft law on early childhood education this year. "The necessary expansion of places in the West and the recruitment of pedagogical specialists to secure existing and future legal entitlements cannot be implemented at the expense of the East," the paper states.

Longer opening hours, qualified staff

The social democratic daycare politicians in the eastern German states are therefore continuing to call for funding for staff at daycare centers and for the recruitment of qualified specialists as well as for longer opening hours.

In their paper, the SPD politicians draw attention to differences between the eastern and western German daycare landscape. In eastern Germany, there is a well-developed, comprehensive daycare network, which enables eastern German women and single parents in particular to balance work and family life. "Because more couples and more women work full-time in the east," write the Social Democrats.