According to the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband and the GEW trade union, daycare closures due to the drop in birth rates in Saxony are threatening to leave gaps in provision in rural areas. The falling number of children and the fact that fixed costs remain the same would present daycare centers with huge cost problems, said Michael Richter, regional director of the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband in Saxony.
Care centers have to close due to falling child numbers
This means that individual daycare locations have to be closed. Last year, 15 facilities were already closed, according to data from the State Statistical Office. "There are white spots in the state," warned Richter. Outside of Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz, the nearest daycare center is often not on the way to work, but in the opposite direction. "This means that there are huge distances to cover and the daycare center near the family is gone."
