2026

Expansion of childcare

As part of the Special Fund for Infrastructure and Climate Neutrality (Sondervermögen „Infrastruktur und Klimaneutralität“ – SVIK), additional funds amounting to Euro 3.76 billion (Euro 940 million per year) will be available for the expansion of childcare from 2026 to 2029. Investments in childcare centres funded by the SVIK are to be implemented through a “Childcare Investment Programme” (‘Investitionsprogramm Kindertagesbetreuung’) administered by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth (Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend – BMBFSFJ)

In July 2026, the agreement on the childcare investment programme was concluded between the Federal Government and the Länder. It comes into force retroactively from 1 January 2026 and lays the groundwork for funding construction, refurbishment and equipment investments in childcare centres and home-based childcare facilities across the country.

Funding can be applied for to build new childcare centres, expand existing ones, or to carry out conversion or refurbishment work. Modern equipment is also eligible for funding – including digital infrastructure. It is also possible to have the costs of energy-efficiency refurbishment covered, for example the installation of modern heating systems. Measures to provide effective protection against heat are also becoming increasingly important in view of rising summer temperatures. For example, applications can be made for funding to install roller shutters, improved insulation or air-conditioning.

Through this investment programme, the Federation is not only supporting the expansion and maintenance of childcare places but also improving the environment for children and the working conditions of childcare professionals.

The specific details of the funding, as well as the application and approval procedures, are governed by the Länder. Which measures are eligible for funding may therefore vary from one Land to another.

In addition to further expansion, improving the quality of childcare is also crucial to enhancing children’s opportunities at the start of life. For this reason, the planned Childcare Start Opportunities and Quality Development Act (KiTa-Startchancen- und -Qualitätsentwicklungsgesetz – SCQEG) sets nationwide standards, in particular regarding the assessment and support of children’s language and developmental levels, as well as the targeted support of childcare centres in challenging locations. It sustainably strengthens the quality of early childhood education, care and support and improves children’s opportunities from the start. The draft bill provides for the Federal Government to support the Länder with a total of around Euro 9.25 billion between 2027 and 2034 to implement the Act. The SCQEG is due to come into force on 1 January 2027.

2025

Third Act on the Further Development of Quality and Participation in Child Day Care

Quality development in child day care facilities and in child day care is seen as a task for society as a whole. Since 2019, the Federation has therefore been supporting the Länder with additional funding for quality development measures in child daycare in order to further develop quality nationwide and contribute to creating equal living conditions for children growing up in Germany.  

On 1 January 2025, the Third Act for the Further Development of Quality and Participation in Child Day Care (Drittes Gesetz zur Weiterentwicklung der Qualität und zur Teilhabe in der Kindertagesbetreuung) entered into force. The Federal Government is thus continuing its financial commitment to improving early childhood education and care in 2025 and 2026 and supports the Länder with a total of around Euro 4 billion. With the further developed law, the Länder are able to invest in seven priority fields of action that are of particular importance for the quality of care:

• Needs-based services
• Child-staff ratio
• Recruitment and retention of qualified staff
• Strengthening of management
• Promotion of needs-based, balanced and sustainable catering and sufficient exercise
• Promotion of language education
• Strengthening of child day care    

2024

Expansion of childcare

Between 2008 and 2024, the Federal Government has launched five investment programmes entitled “Childcare Financing“ (‘Kinderbetreuungsfinanzierung’) with a total budget of Euro 5.4 billion to expand childcare provision in line with demand. These programmes have created more than 750,000 additional places for children up to school age. The massive expansion of childcare in Germany has more than doubled the average childcare coverage rate for children under three years of age from 17.6 per cent (2008) to 37.8 per cent (2025).

Overall strategy for skilled workers in day-care centres and all-day schools

In May 2024, the then Federal Ministry for Family Affairs presented recommendations for short-, medium- and long-term measures to recruit and retain skilled workers, which were developed with the involvement of the Länder and a broad range of experts. Various levers were considered in order to counter the shortage of skilled workers – from education and training, to facilitating career changes and retraining, the recognition of foreign professional qualifications, and working conditions and framework conditions.

The BMBFSFJ continues to coordinate closely with the Länder and is continuing the expert dialogue “Skilled Staff for Childcare Centres and All-Day Care” (‘Fachkräfte für Kitas und Ganztag’) with federal ministries, Länder, local authorities, professional associations and social partners on key challenges relating to the development of skilled staff in childcare and all-day care.