Peine district wins German Kita Prize 2025 for early education!

Peine district wins German Kita Prize 2025 for early education!

On December 2, 2025, the Peine district achieved a significant success: The prevention chains were awarded the German Kita Prize 2025. This happened in the “Local Early Learning Alliance of the Year” category and it is truly a cause for celebration. After over 600 applications from all over Germany, this honor stands out even more because it shows how important local cooperation is for the development of children and families. The prize comes with prize money of 25,000 euros, which will now be invested in important projects. The Peine district and the city of Peine have come together here to create the best conditions for successful growing up.

What is particularly interesting is that this concept of prevention chains was launched about four years ago and has been further developed since then. Maik Zilling, head of the youth welfare office, and Henrik Kühn, head of education and culture, are leading the important initiative. In their first conversations they laid the foundation for a collaboration that has borne fruit ever since. The jury of the German Kita Prize paid particular attention to the question of what young children and their families need in order to successfully overcome challenges such as the transition from daycare to school. One of the many measures includes creating a welcome book for new daycare children, which accompanies them during this time.

Diverse support for families

The local initiative not only took care of the children's integration opportunities, but also supported families in financial need. In this context, comprehensive information about offers of help was provided. This integrative approach is seen by leaders as an endorsement of a sustainable and collaborative model that benefits both children and parents. Such projects promote a strong sense of togetherness, which is beneficial for everyone involved. The German Kita Prize is not just an award, but also a source of inspiration for the future of early education and shows how important continuous development is for everyone involved.

At the celebratory award ceremony on November 27, 2025 in Berlin, moderated by Barbara Schöneberger, Federal Minister for Family Affairs Karin Prien emphasized the central role of daycare centers in early childhood education. At the same event, the inclusive Kita Unkel from Rhineland-Palatinate was named “Kita of the Year 2025”. The other award winners, such as the Kita St. Nikolaus from Kirchen (Sieg) and the Blau-Weiße Movement Room in Bochum, also received awards in other categories.

Award ceremony and future prospects

The entire German Kita Prize 2025 included prize money of 110,000 euros. In addition to the main prizes, several special awards were also presented to recognize significant contributions to early education. The next round of applications for interested daycare centers and local alliances will start in January 2026, which is a further incentive to actively work to improve early childhood education.

This award from the prevention chains in the Peine district is not only praise for the excellent work on site, but also a signal to work on what is possible. Good quality in early education is a continuous process and this award encourages us to further develop the measures and achieve the best for the youngest children and their families. Further and more detailed information can be found on the websites of the German Kita Prize as well as the Federal Ministry for Families and the German Children's and Youth Foundation.