Brandenburg an der Havel: 1000 unnecessary daycare places cost millions!

Brandenburg an der Havel: 1000 unnecessary daycare places cost millions!

There is an alarming oversupply of daycare places in Brandenburg an der Havel! Over 1,000 places are unused and that is costing the city and the independent providers a fortune. The situation is so explosive that the daycare needs plan for 2024/25 is months overdue. Alderman Alexandra Adel from the Free Voters had announced the plan for November, but it still hasn't happened!

According to the report from the municipal statistics office, the 61 recognized daycare centers have a capacity of 6,377 places, of which only 5,337 are occupied. That makes a shocking surplus of 1040 places! Even in September 2023, the situation was similar: 6,245 places were available, but only 5,369 were used. The city has even invested in new buildings and spent over 1.1 million euros on a modular construction, but occupancy remains dramatically low.

Six daycare centers before the end!

Experts are sounding the alarm: Six daycare centers may be facing closure! This means that one in ten facilities in the city is at risk. However, those responsible emphasize that there will probably not be any massive closures. Instead, capacities in most facilities should be reduced. The low utilization also poses major challenges for the providers, as they only receive subsidies for places that are actually occupied and still have to maintain staff.

The unrealistic assumptions in the new daycare needs plan are another problem. While two daycare centers are forecast for a new residential area on Hessenweg, the actual demand could be one or two groups. The planning for the residential area at Platz der Unit is also still in its early stages, and new residents are not expected for a few years. Brandenburg an der Havel is facing a critical situation that must be addressed urgently!