Too Hot in Saxony's Daycare Centers – Operators Call for More Climate Aid

Paritätischer: Widespread Problem Among Social Service Providers

In daycare centers, shade is created using awnings. And: “You can actually manage to cool down with water and by being outside quite well.” However, this has its limits. The Saxony Accident Insurance Fund, whose recommendations the facilities follow, advises that during intense sunlight, children should be supervised indoors or in the shade.

In some facilities, however, room temperatures reach unbearable levels during the summer heat. “There are actually only a limited number of air-conditioned facilities in that sense,” reports Thomas Neumann, spokesperson for the Paritätische in Saxony. 

There are no resources for climate change adaptation in either older or newer buildings. “When you consider that half of Germany’s social service facilities are run by nonprofit organizations, this isn’t just a minor problem for a single provider—it’s a nationwide issue.” 

Heat Keeps Teens in Kamenz Residential Group Awake

In a residential group for teens run by the Kinderarche association in a former barracks building in Kamenz, the effects of the summer heat were particularly severe, reports Executive Director Gärtner. 

A lack of insulation and insufficient sun protection on the windows turned the attic into a heat trap. “They couldn’t stay cool at all during the heat wave. That just wasn’t possible. And then it got to the point where some children couldn’t go to school because they simply hadn’t slept all night.”

The association’s chairwoman now hopes to find a solution through federal funding for climate adaptation. The Kinderarche association was awarded the grant in the fall. Possible measures were developed in workshops with a civil engineering firm and an architectural firm.

The experts propose more greenery, but also structural changes such as air conditioning or roof insulation. “But it’s becoming increasingly clear that the federal government only funds green measures—specifically, greening facades or outdoor areas,” reports Gärtner. 

RKI: 5,100 deaths during June heat wave

There remains a gap, the chairwoman of the board believes. “We’re actually facing the challenges of the heat right now, and no one is doing anything about it. No one is offering funding, and we simply can’t afford it.” Michael Richter, state director of the Paritätische, speaks of a problem that affects both long-term care facilities and hospitals equally.

According to estimates by the Robert Koch Institute, the heat wave beginning in mid-June claimed the lives of around 5,100 people. According to these figures, the number of heat-related deaths had already significantly exceeded the totals for entire previous years by mid-year: from 2023 to 2025, there were an average of 2,900 heat-related deaths per year. During the heat wave in June, the German Weather Service recorded temperatures above 41 degrees on several occasions.

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