Communities in need: What happens to money for daycare centers and schools?

Communities in need: What happens to money for daycare centers and schools?

In Austria, the financial situation of the communities is coming up! Investments in kindergartens, maintenance of streets and new sports facilities will suddenly become the question of the future, as more and more municipalities are fighting empty health insurers. The challenges are enormous: facilities such as schools, childcare, as well as sexual and cultural offers are on the brink, such as orf.at . The focus is on current discourses on the sustainability of such offers and the increasing costs for early childhood education.

The financing of this educational structure is increasingly being considered critically. Germany already spent around 18.4 billion euros for early childhood education in 2012, which corresponds to 0.7% of the gross national product. Overall, expenses exceed the OECD average. From the point of view of the educerin.de the question is above all the question of what role the public sector and parents should play in financing. The countries are responsible for the financing of daycare centers, whereby the municipalities bear over 58% of the costs. A new discussion about the strategic involvement of the federal government into daycare financing is loud to ensure reliable standards and fair financing structures.

financing models under the magnifying glass

Another central point is the way the funds for daycare centers are distributed. There is subject -related and object -related financing - that is, whether funds per child or per facility are awarded. While subject -related financing is considered to be demand -oriented, object -related financing carries the risk that funds flow independently of actual use. Experts demand that future financing models must be adapted to the quality standards and personnel needs in order to meet the pedagogical requirements.

The discussion about better financing of early childhood education in Austria and Germany will be becoming more and more urgent in the coming times. The questions are clear: How do we guarantee the financial security of daycare centers? How do we make sure that every place in Austria can offer the same quality standards in early childhood education? orf.at and educator.de