Local authorities feel overwhelmed by the "daycare deal"

Saxony's municipalities feel overwhelmed by the planned changes to the nursery staffing ratio. "There will be significantly more staff for management tasks, but not much more staff for educational work with the children," said Mischa Woitscheck, Managing Director of the Saxon Association of Towns and Municipalities (SSG), according to a press release. Without an appropriate contribution from the Free State, daycare operating costs would continue to rise at the expense of local authorities and parents.

New jobs mainly for management

The changes are part of the accompanying budget law that the minority government made up of the CDU and SPD agreed on last week with the Greens and the Left as part of the 2025/2026 double budget. The staffing ratio in daycare centers is to be adjusted as early as August. However, the SSG criticizes that three quarters of the approximately 200 new positions will be needed for managers. A further increase in the staffing ratio is planned for August 2026.

There are currently increases in the state subsidy to compensate for this, but according to criticism from the SSG, these only cover the additional costs incurred at the time of the standard increase, but not the annual increase in operating costs per place of eight percent. Woitscheck spoke of a "daycare center deal" that is intended to secure the state budget but overburdens the municipalities. The moratorium agreed by the old state parliament, which is intended to retain nursery staff despite falling child numbers in order to improve the quality of care, will not be implemented.

SPD sees nursery moratorium implemented

The education policy spokesperson for the SPD parliamentary group, Gerald Eisenblätter, disagrees. Instead, he believes that the moratorium on nurseries has been implemented and that 400 jobs could be saved. "The state parliament is keeping its word: at 912 million euros, the state's share of daycare funding remains constant," he said. As agreed in the coalition agreement, there will also be a fundamental discussion next year about the distribution of the burden of daycare funding.