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Educators wanted: daycare centers in the region on the verge of collapse!
There is a lack of educators in Lindau. Daycare centers are urgently looking for skilled workers to secure childcare places.
Educators wanted: daycare centers in the region on the verge of collapse!
In Bavarian municipalities, the situation in early childhood care is becoming increasingly critical. As the Swabian newspaper According to reports, around 14,400 daycare positions are currently unfilled, while 4,400 positions are missing in after-school care centers. This not only results in a shortage of skilled and supplementary staff, but also means that access to kindergarten places is restricted despite a sufficient number of places available. In Lindau, the municipal daycare centers Villa Engel and Arche Noah are to be merged in 2025, with six new skilled workers urgently needed to maintain operations.
The problems of recruiting personnel are widespread. Daycare centers also face major challenges in communities like Weißensberg and Hergensweiler. In Weißensberg, for example, only three teachers per group are responsible for a total of 109 children, which leads to difficulties in practice. Mayor Wolfgang Strohmaier emphasizes that many parents want to shift all of their child-rearing activities to daycare centers, which is leading to increased pressure on staff. In addition, the shortage of skilled workers is further exacerbated by the increased demand for daycare places and extended opening hours, as Harald Voigt, Mayor of Wasserburg, has noted.
Children’s Mayor – An innovative approach
In parallel to these challenges, Thalheim shows that children's political participation is also promoted through innovative formats such as children's mayors. In this community, which has around 7,000 residents, there have been children's mayors since 2018 who act as a mouthpiece for the interests of the youngest in political decision-making processes. Sylvia Schlicke, neighborhood manager in Thalheim, emphasizes that children must be seen as experts for their own needs. In this way, the children's mayors actively contribute their ideas and opinions to urban development and thus strengthen the children's connection to their homeland. The implementation was supported by the “Democracy in Children’s Hands” project of the German Children and Youth Foundation, through which Thalheim provides annual funds for participation.
These initiatives show that despite the workforce challenges in early childhood care, creative solutions can be found to integrate the voices of young citizens and shape a better future for the next generation.