Daycare centers in the Görlitz district: Is the wave of renovation coming despite concerns about young talent?

Daycare centers in the Görlitz district: Is the wave of renovation coming despite concerns about young talent?

A worrying trend is emerging in eastern Germany: the decline in birth rates is increasingly putting a strain on municipalities, especially in the Görlitz district. Many communities are faced with the challenge of dealing with the declining demand for daycare centers. So informed Sächsische.de about the current situation in the municipality of Schönau-Berzdorf, which operates two municipal daycare centers: the “Hutbergzwerge” in Schönau-Berzdorf and the “Spürnasen” in Kiesdorf. While the “Spürnasen” daycare center is considered solid, the “Hutbergzwerge” daycare center is in need of renovation.

Mayor Luisa Rönisch emphasizes how important it is to remain sustainable even in times of decline. Currently, out of a total of 65 places in the “Hutbergzwergen”, only around 50 are occupied. Nevertheless, the community decided not to cancel the renovation work and instead continue to invest in the daycare center.

Renovation work and investments

The general renovation of the “Hutbergzwerge” is being carried out in several construction phases, the first of which has already been completed. This included the construction of new utility rooms, a sports room and a bathroom. The second construction phase includes the laying of new heating and water pipes and the conversion of group rooms into crèche rooms. The final section is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025. The total costs for the renovation amount to around 1.8 million euros, with the municipality awarding a construction contract worth 500,000 euros.

Financing poses challenges for the community: 55% of the costs are borne by the state and 5% by the district. This means that the municipality has to raise the remaining 40% independently without applying for a loan. In order to generate additional funds, the community is planning a fundraising campaign on the GoFundMe platform.

Demographic change and its consequences

The decline in birth rates, which affects the entire state of Saxony, has several causes. Experts like Dirk Reelfs from the Saxon Ministry of Culture confirm that this development will first be noticeable in daycare centers. The forecasts indicate that the number of children under six will fall by around ten percent by 2025. In addition, Olga Pötzsch from the Federal Statistical Office notes that in eastern Germany the number of women of childbearing age is low, which is due to demographic changes.

The situation is similar in cities like Dresden. According to Sabine Grohmann from the Office for Child Day Care, there is a steady decline in births. The city administration is already planning to dismantle eleven container daycare centers, which were quickly set up in the past due to the legal right to a childcare place. This situation is forcing municipalities to think about flexible solutions in order to continue to provide adequate childcare.

Some actors also see the drop in birth rates as an opportunity to strengthen the quality of early childhood education without reducing the number of childcare workers. The upcoming state elections in 2024 will be crucial for the financing and future of daycare centers in Saxony, as experts emphasize in the press.