Title: Munich Drops the Title "Childminder" for Child Care Workers
Located in Munich, Sandra Huggler-Welsch, a childcare provider with 18 years of experience, takes care of eleven children from various families. Yet, the city views things differently. Recently, Munich's municipal education department decided to remove the title "childminder" from their vocabulary. Sandra is among those affected by this change.
What triggered the evolution?
For years, the global Woke movement has advocated for the use of gender-neutral terms. Now, Munich's school department seems to be following suit. A spokesperson explained succinctly, justifying their decision by stating that "child day care workers" is a term used in §§ 22 and §§ 23 KJHG, which is also adopted by Munich.
A departure from the people
Munichʼs CSU parliamentary group leader Manuel Pretzl expresses his disapproval of such technocratic language, saying, "The administration isolates itself from the people with such word monsters. This is out of touch with reality."
Unraveling the sentiments of a childminder
Sandra Huggler-Welsch, being a childminder herself, disagrees with the title change. She feels that the affectionate and charming term "childminder" creates a home-like atmosphere, where children feel secure. Sandra is disappointed by the focus on title upgrades rather than real support from the state and local authorities.
The scarcity of childminders
While there are more than 3,000 childminders in Bavaria, according to Rosa Hochschwarzer of the Landesverband Kindertagespflege Bayern, Sandra realizes the high demand for these services. She could easily accommodate twice as many children but is constrained by a shortage of childminders and less-than-adequate compensation.
Context behind the substitution
The term "childminder" has evolved in Germany, where Tagesmutter or Tagesvater refers to professional caregivers who look after children under the age of 3, while Kindergarten facilities cater to children from 8 weeks to 3 or 6 years old. There is a trend towards professionalizing the childcare services, hence the shift to term "child day care workers" to reflect the professional nature of the services provided.
While Munich's rationale is not explicitly mentioned, it could be an effort to improve clarity, professionalism, and inclusivity in the terminology used for childcare services.
