New kindergarten in Raabs: create more places for young families!

New kindergarten in Raabs: create more places for young families!

In Raabs at Thaya, the official opening of the extended childcare was celebrated on June 10, 2025. So far there have been three classified kindergartens in the city. A provisional kindergarten group has been run in Puchheimstrasse middle school since September 2022. Thanks to the Lower Austrian children's education and care offensive, the kindergarten in Puchheimstrasse has now been expanded by two groups. This measure is evaluated by the family state councilor Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister, who emphasizes the importance of expansion for early childhood education and supporting parents.

The extension is supported by an increased grant as part of the childcare offensive. From January 1, 2023, this funding rate for structural investments rose from 27% to almost 50%. The municipality is also planning further measures, including the addition of a day care institution at the Kollmitzberg kindergarten location.

extensive investments in childcare

A total of over 500 groups and a project volume of more than 300 million euros have been decided since the start of the family policy initiative in Lower Austria. By September 2024, 93% of the Lower Austria communities have already created places for two-year-olds in kindergartens or day care facilities. There are currently over 75,000 children in institutional childcare facilities in Lower Austria.

By the end of 2027, around 615 new kindergarten groups and 250 new day care facilities are to be built. A total of 750 million euros will be invested in the expansion of childcare. The state of Lower Austria bears the personnel costs for all leaders and elementary teachers in state kindergartens.

improved care situation for toddlers

The care rate for children from 0 to 2 years in VIF-compliant institutions rose dramatically from 31.3% to 62.3% in the period from 2018 to 2023. For 3 to 5 year olds, the rate grew from 20% to 52.9%. In order to further support this positive development, the statutory closing days during the summer holidays were reduced from three to just a week. In addition, free institutional childcare in the morning is also expanded to small children in day care facilities.

Lower Austria has emerged compared to other federal states. With a visiting rate of 36.3% for under-3 year olds, the country is above the Austrian average of 34.9%. The odds for the 2-year-olds (78.7%), 3-year-olds (97.2%) and 4 year olds (99.0%), where Lower Austria is at the top.

The developments in Raabs on the Thaya are part of a larger strategy that is also discussed in a report by the Eurydice network. The "Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)" illuminates the challenges and progress in early childhood education and support in Europe. In particular, demographic changes and their effects on the demand for childcare places are discussed.

The importance of education and support in the earliest years is still strongly emphasized. National standards and measures to improve the conditions in early childhood education are necessary to meet the need for well -trained specialists and high -quality childcare places. The partnership between the country and the municipalities is highlighted as a central for progress in childcare.

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