The daycare center requirements plan shows the childcare options and supply quotas on a small-scale basis. The locations that should be particularly strengthened by a further expansion of childcare places are identified in comparison with the target supply rate. The aim is to provide a sufficient number of childcare places in line with demand as close to home as possible.

In the kindergarten year 2023/2024, the supply rate (based on the number of children on December 31, 2022) for children under the age of three is 48.7%. The target supply rate of 58% set by the Bonn City Council, which will be maintained in the future, has not yet been achieved. To achieve this, around 890 U3 childcare places still need to be created. The amount of U3 childcare available varies greatly across the city. While some planning areas are well positioned, others still lack an above-average number of childcare places.

For example, in the north of Bonn with Buschdorf, Auerberg and Grau-Rheindorf. There is also a lack of places for very young children in Tannenbusch and in the west of Bonn with the statistical districts of Bonn-Güterbahnhof, Neu-Endenich, Alt-Endenich and Dransdorf. The same applies to Lessenich-Meßdorf and Duisdorf. Bad Godesberg-Nord and Bad Godesberg-Zentrum, Villenviertel and Plittersdorf also need more places. There is also a shortage of places in Rüngsdorf, Pennenfeld and Lannesdorf despite the construction of a new Kita and the expansion by two groups. In Beuel, Vilich-Rheindorf, Beuel-Ost, Vilich-Müldorf, Pützchen/Bechlinghoven and LiKüRa are particularly affected.

For children aged three to under six, a target provision rate of 102% was set in the latest daycare needs plan. The figure of over 100 percent results from the fact that children who are already six years old but not yet of school age are also cared for in daycare centers. On average, there are around 760 six-year-old children per year who are not yet of school age. Although the target supply rate of 102% has almost been reached, it is clear that children from the age of three are still unable to find a place in a daycare center. For this reason, the supply rate was increased to 104% in the current update of the daycare plan.

An evaluation of the waiting lists in spring 2023 revealed an unmet demand of around 1,125 childcare places for the period from September 2022 to July 2023, 830 of which relate to children under the age of three.

In the coming years, over 1,000 childcare places will need to be created in daycare centers and daycare facilities. Around 35 new daycare centers are currently planned. The expansion can only take place gradually and will be compared and reviewed annually as part of youth welfare planning and the registration of child allowances with the state in line with small-scale needs. Overall, childcare places need to be created in Bonn for both children under and over the age of three, although the greatest potential for development lies in the creation of places for children under the age of three.

Social Code Book VIII (SGB VIII) in conjunction with the Act on the Early Education and Support of Children (Kinderbildungsgesetz - KiBiz) forms the basis for the expansion of childcare services in daycare centers and daycare facilities. It forms the planning and funding framework for the existing and further development of childcare. Planning responsibility lies with the local authorities. The independent providers are involved in the planning and implementation.

Maintaining the existing childcare offer and further expanding the number of daycare places can only succeed if all providers have sufficient specialist staff at their disposal. As a provider of around 70 childcare facilities, the city of Bonn is also affected by this and is trying to counter the shortage of specialist staff at various levels, for example through

• Personnel campaign
• Standard publication as a permanent advertisement
• Only permanent recruitment (for specialist staff)
• Recruiting foreign specialists (Spain)
• Offering practice-integrated training (PiA)
• Permanent contracts for recognized interns
• Post-qualification of childcare workers to become specialists
• Wide range of further training courses
• Targeted promotion of potential managers through internal seminars
• Consideration of the introduction of a dual study program for entry into work in the Kita
• Strengthening the specialist advisory team
• Employment of administrative staff in the facilities
• Offers of coaching and supervision

The daycare center requirements plan can be viewed  here (opens in a new tab).