On Wednesday, January 31, the corresponding proposal is now on the agenda of the council meeting. In it, Lord Mayor Frank Klingebiel proposes continuing the ten entry-level daycare groups on the basis of the revised concept.

The aim of these daycare starter groups is to introduce children and families to early education and, in particular, to prepare children for everyday kindergarten life. They do not replace a kindergarten place, but serve to relieve the burden on the entire early childhood education and care system.

For this reason, the term "nursery entry" has been replaced by the term "play and learning groups" in the updated concept. The play and learning groups offer children the opportunity to come into contact with other children, get to know everyday kindergarten life and acquire social skills that are important for future kindergarten and school attendance. They are also an inclusive offer to improve the participation of these children.

"We have found that these groups enjoy a high level of acceptance among families and professionals, which is why we are continuing the former federal program on a municipal level," explained Lord Mayor Frank Klingebiel.

The city spends 335,000 euros a year on this voluntary service if 10 groups are funded. With five groups, it would still be a good 200,000 euros due to overhead costs remaining the same. Given the tight budget situation, this is a special achievement.

Klingebiel criticized the fact that the federal and state governments repeatedly set up time-limited programmes that were then successfully accepted locally. However, when they expire, the local authorities are then required to maintain and finance the offers. Even if the content of the current program is convincing, the decision is not an easy one. "I can only spend the money once and we always have to decide what cannot be funded instead," said Klingebiel.

In total, the city has created almost 1,000 daycare places over the past ten years, and a further 300 are currently under construction. However, in view of the significant increase in the number of children and other legal requirements such as all-day care in elementary school from 2026, local authorities are finding it increasingly difficult to fulfill these mandates.