Enhanced workforce and resources allocated for kindergartens in Lower Saxony - Expanded Staffing and Resources for Daycare Centers in Lower Saxony
In a move to enhance the quality of daycare services, improve language development, and address rising personnel costs, the government of Lower Saxony has announced additional funding for daycare centres starting this summer.
The funding, totalling around 207 million euros, is part of the "Quality in Daycare 3" program, which includes unused funds from previous funding phases. This program aims to attract more skilled professionals and improve pedagogical work by allowing daycare centres to hire additional staff, including in nursery groups, and providing funds for qualification measures.
Furthermore, the "Language Daycare 2" program will continue to support language promotion in daycare centres, with a focus on children with a particular need for language development. This program will extend until July 2027.
To address the issue of rising personnel costs, the "Affordability 2" program has been introduced. This initiative is intended to support daycare centres with these costs, providing funds for personnel, materials, and further training, totalling around 48 million euros.
Culture Minister Julia Willie Hamburg (Greens) has emphasised the importance of investing in early childhood education. She is involved in these initiatives and has highlighted the extension of language daycare promotion at the state level after the withdrawal of federal government funding in July 2023.
The implementation of these programs is subject to the signing of necessary contracts with the federal government by the states. The funding is being provided through the relaunch of three programs: "Quality in Daycare 3", "Language Daycare 2", and "Affordability 2".
Daycare providers will receive a supplement of one percentage point on the regular increase, with around 212 million euros planned for this. A significant portion of the funding (around 383 million euros) is provided by federal funds through the third daycare quality development act.
For those seeking precise information about these guidelines, the best sources would likely be the official Lower Saxony state government or Ministry of Education/Family Affairs websites, regional policy documents or press releases on daycare funding and quality initiatives, and official announcements related to daycare funding programs under names like "Quality in Daycare 3", "Language Daycare 2", or "Affordability 2".
The government's "Quality in Daycare 3" program, aimed at improving daycare services, includes employment policies to attract skilled professionals and fund qualification measures, aligning with the lifestyle and home-and-garden sections that highlight the importance of early childhood education. The "Language Daycare 2" program, focused on language development, particularly for children in need, aligns with the education-and-self-development sector, emphasizing the government's commitment to holistic development.
