Kiel is struggling with a shortage of daycare places: where the waiting lists are the longest!

Kiel is struggling with a shortage of daycare places: where the waiting lists are the longest!

The situation surrounding daycare places in Kiel remains tense, even if there are signs of a trend reversal in Schleswig-Holstein. Despite a decrease of almost 100 children on the waiting lists compared to the previous year, a total of 606 children in Holststadt are missing a childcare place at the beginning of the 2024 daycare year. The problem is particularly painful in the Ravensberg/Brunswik/Düsternbrook district, where 44 places were lost due to the closure of a daycare center. In recent years, closures of daycare centers, especially in 2023, have contributed to the worsening of the situation.

The waiting lists are still long and there are some parts of the city that are particularly affected. There are 131 children waiting in Gaarden, 48 in the city center, and another 58 in Ravensberg/Brunswik/Düsternbrook. In contrast, the list for daycare places has become shorter, which is at least a ray of hope. But the challenges remain, especially for children over the age of three who have not yet found a place [kn-online.de](https://www.kn-online.de/lokales/kiel/ Fehlende-kita-plaetze-in-kiel-wo-die-wartelisten-am-laengsten-sind-EQTILCP4TFFDJFM6MN4KUZLD4Q.html).

New measures to improve the situation

In order to meet needs, the city of Kiel plans to increase the number of childcare places through new buildings and expansions, especially in the areas on the east bank. There are a total of 17 options for new daycare centers, including six in Gaarden. However, rising construction costs are delaying the opening, which is planned for 2026: 47 spaces are to be created each on Sörensenstrasse and in the former Hage building. The provision for children under the age of three in Kiel is currently 47.1%, which means that 175 places are still missing from the target of 50%. 247 places need to be created for the age group of three to six years in order to achieve the target quota of 107%.

A central aspect of early childhood education is promoting children's autonomy. In the crèche they experience, among other things, recurring rituals every day that help them to perceive their body signals. Learning to make self-determined decisions is one of the fundamental goals of the daycare centers, which are supported by educational professionals. These are not only responsible for the well-being of the children, but also play a crucial role in their development kiel.de.

Political initiatives and support

A lot is also happening at the political level. Schleswig-Holstein has announced that it will provide more funds to pay daycare staff. The collective agreement for daycare staff is now being transferred to the facilities, and a campaign has been launched to recruit skilled workers. The reports highlight both the challenges and progress in the field of early childhood education. A new law is being drawn up that is intended to close the financing gap of 120 million euros in the daycare financing system. These measures are intended to help stabilize and improve the daycare landscape in Schleswig-Holstein schleswig-holstein.de.

For many parents, time remains of the essence: the search for a suitable daycare place can turn into a real odyssey. It remains to be hoped that the new initiatives and construction measures will ease the situation in the future and offer the affected families reliable care.