Childcare constraints limit access. - Senior citizens are expected to care for our preschooler children now.
Local authorities in Lower Saxony shared their plans for maintaining consistent childcare on Friday. According to Marco Trips (52), President of the Association of Towns and Municipalities, the current childcare situation is unreliable due to a shortage of staff. To address this issue, they're suggesting involving parents, retired nursery teachers, or other qualified individuals who can lend a hand.
However, Trips emphasizes that this should be compensated and not expected to be done as a volunteer. At present, two educational specialists are required per daycare group. In the future, a "qualified person" could support one specialist over a limited period. Still, Trips feels this isn't enough. He's proposing a division into "core" and "peripheral" times.
During core times (around four hours a day), two pedagogical specialists should provide education. The remaining hours, during which they'll offer "qualified care," can be covered by one specialist and another person. Trips believes they can't maintain the educational standards for more than eight hours.
Daycare users can vote on whether they think it's appropriate to employ parents and retirees in daycare centers.
Modernize educator training and make it a paid opportunity
The Lower Saxony authorities are advocating for a shift towards practice-based training, similar to what's already implemented in other federal states. Trainees will work three days a week at a daycare center, assisting with childcare, and attend vocational school for the remaining two days. In exchange, they'll receive a salary of €1,300–€1,500 per month.
Currently, individuals wanting to become educators in Lower Saxony must complete a two-year training program at a vocational college. They begin with a socio-educational assistant training but get very little practical experience in daycare centers. There's also no remuneration.
Jan Arning (55), Managing Director of the Lower Saxony Association of Cities and Towns, hopes the change will make training more appealing. "Daycare centers can't function without nursery nurses."
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Source: symclub.org
