Daycare centers in Germany: Skilled labor shortage endangers child development!

Daycare centers in Germany: Skilled labor shortage endangers child development!

There are a lot of things wrong in our daycare centers! A current study by the Paritätischen Gesamtverband shows alarming figures: There is a shortage of around 125,000 educators in Germany, which has a massive impact on early childhood care. The existing specialists battle overload and stress every day, which leads to a loss of support and structure for the children. Considering the fact that daycare centers play a crucial role in the development of children, improvements are urgently needed here. When it comes to educational quality, things often don't look any better; it does not meet the requirements that should be placed on good early childhood education. This could have long-term consequences for the children's educational success, as tz.de reports.

The linguistic and cognitive development of the youngest children is particularly affected. According to the study, many children do not have the necessary skills when they start school, especially in the linguistic area. This is often due to the lack of staff in daycare centers. The specialists often do not have enough time to offer dialogue-oriented language support. Instead, linguistic interaction often focuses on instructions, which significantly impairs the development of basic linguistic skills.

The situation in Germany in an international comparison

A look at our neighbors shows that there is another way. In the Netherlands and England, the quality standards in daycare centers are significantly higher, which is due to targeted investments in early childhood education. The dji.de emphasizes that the quality of care in Germany worsens the more children with a migrant background are cared for in the facilities. The expert Stefan Faas is calling for a rethink in Germany in order to urgently improve daycare quality.

Statistics show that on average 30% of children need intensive language support, although this can be even higher depending on the region. It is not enough to simply create additional offers such as small group support. Children need a linguistically stimulating environment and clear structures in order to develop in the best possible way. This is particularly important in times when there is an increasing need for language support due to migration and insufficient linguistic stimulation in families.

The shortage of skilled workers in daycare centers

But how can you improve the personnel situation? A major hurdle is the shortage of skilled workers, which, according to the Bertelsmann Foundation, indicates a lack of around 430,000 daycare places. The current Deutschlandfunk reports that there is not only a shortage of educators, but also the erosion of qualifications due to lowering standards in some federal states. Lower Saxony, for example, has temporarily lowered quality standards by law in order to create more leeway in hiring staff. However, this could do more harm than good in the long run.

In order to find a sustainable solution, experts are calling for long-term strategies to upgrade the educator profession, for example through better career opportunities and more professionalization. The federal government also plans to invest billions in the next few years to recruit and retain qualified staff. But it is questionable whether these measures are sufficient. Educational researchers emphasize that rapid measures are urgent due to the shortage of personnel, but should not become the norm.

Overall, it is clear that the situation in the daycare centers is not only a problem for the professionals, but above all for the children. A rethink is urgent so that we can offer the smallest of us the best possible development. Only with the necessary attention and the right measures can we ensure that our children are strong and well prepared for the future.