Bavaria Expects Enough All-Day Places for First Graders

Bavaria’s new entitlement to all-day care for primary school children is expected to begin without major gaps, according to Social Affairs Minister Ulrike Scharf. The entitlement initially applies to first graders, and Scharf said parents who want the service should be able to obtain a place in an after-school center, lunchtime care programme or similar facility.

Speaking two weeks before the new school year, Scharf said officials currently knew of no lawsuits, major outcry or widespread complaints. Feedback so far indicated that Bavaria could meet the entitlement, she said, while acknowledging that providing enough places required a major effort from everyone involved. The state is coordinating closely with municipalities.

More than 300,000 primary school children already use all-day services in Bavaria, equivalent to about 60 percent, according to Scharf. She also said the new daycare year was set to begin with more than 11,000 childcare centers, the highest number recorded in the state.

The minister said the number of children receiving care and the number of specialist and support staff were both increasing. She expects the severe staffing shortage of recent years to ease soon and said the state firmly expects to meet its specialist workforce needs by 2027.

Scharf also promised continued support for small rural daycare centers, some of which face declining child numbers. She rejected claims that the state government bears responsibility for rising fees in some areas, saying recent reforms did not justify increases and that municipalities would act responsibly.

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We firmly expect that we will be able to meet the need for specialists by 2027.