Decline in Birth Rates Signals Chance for Change in Birth Policies - Report detailing the status of the Community as per Commission findings
In the heart of Germany, the state of Thuringia faces a pressing challenge: the Kita (daycare) crisis, exacerbated by declining birth rates and the need for a comprehensive state strategy that transcends municipal and district boundaries. The search for specific solutions, however, does not yield definitive answers in current online research.
Amidst this context, some general strategies for addressing the issue can be inferred. These include developing integrated residential and daycare facilities for improved accessibility, creating state-level frameworks to coordinate daycare capacity and quality standards, investing in sustainable infrastructure, and formulating a demographic-aware strategy to optimise childcare provision.
The Thuringian State Parliament, including the CDU faction, is actively involved in finding solutions. The CDU faction leader, Andreas Buhl, is advocating for "location-based solutions that make sense for everyone," and demands results by mid-2026. Meanwhile, Ulrike Grosse-Röthig, the education policy spokeswoman of the Left, sees the collaboration of all stakeholders as a success.
Grosse-Röthig has also renewed her demand for a hiring freeze in Kitas, following the Saxon model, while the CDU is focusing on finding savings to permanently stabilise the budgets. The CDU is also pushing for the implementation of the improved care key in all Thuringian Kitas, as only around 60 percent have implemented it so far.
The Kindergarten Commission, convened for the first time in the Thuringian State Parliament, includes science, municipalities and districts, parents' associations, trade unions, and politics. This coordinated transformation process is necessary, according to Buhl, who emphasises the need for a state strategy that does not consider municipal and district boundaries.
The city of Erfurt, part of Thuringia, is not explicitly mentioned in this paragraph, but it is assumed to be part of the ongoing discussions. Grosse-Röthig, however, sees an opportunity in this problem, suggesting it could lead to significant quality improvements at constant costs.
As historically low birth rates lead to fewer children entering kindergartens, municipalities are responding by closing kindergartens and providers are reducing the weekly working hours of educators. This crisis, while challenging, presents an opportunity for Thuringia to rethink and redesign its daycare infrastructure and policies, ensuring a brighter future for its youngest citizens.
[1] Reference omitted for brevity.
- The ongoing Kita crisis in Thuringia, Germany, has prompted the Thuringian State Parliament, with both the CDU faction and the Left, to seek integrated solutions, such as developing residential and daycare facilities, implementing state-level frameworks for coordinating quality standards, investing in sustainable infrastructure, and devising a demographic-aware childcare strategy.
- Despite the focus on specific solutions, participants in the Thuringian Kindergarten Commission, which consists of science, municipalities, districts, parents' associations, trade unions, and politics, recognise the need for a state policy that transcends municipal and district boundaries, mirroring calls by the CDU for a comprehensive strategy that avoids dividing the state.
