East SPD politicians warn of daycare center deaths

The social democratic daycare politicians in the eastern German states are therefore calling for

• further funding for the staffing ratio in daycare centers and for the recruitment of qualified specialists
• financial support for longer daycare times in crèches and daycare centers of more than eight hours
• that the federal government secures new standards set by it "through increased, adequate federal funding".

Longer opening hours, qualified staff

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

The proportion of children under the age of three who attend a daycare center is 22 percent higher than in the west. The opening hours of East German nurseries are also often longer. This means that parents who start work early in the morning or finish work late can also take their children to nursery.

"However, the staffing ratio in all age groups is still a long way from that in western Germany," the SPD politicians concede. However, the eastern German states are working on improving the quality of daycare centers, according to the paper.

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