Commission has yet to receive a response from the Commission.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the SPD has been vocal in its criticism of the current state government, which includes the Green party, over the ongoing staff shortages and funding issues plaguing daycare centres across the region. Thorsten Berg, the SPD's mayoral candidate for Oberhausen, has reported that 44 daycare centres in his city have faced reductions in opening hours, limited services, or closures of groups a total of 211 times since the beginning of the year due to staff shortages.
These staff shortages have also led to the complete closure of 23 daycare facilities in Oberhausen. The rising personnel costs are causing problems for many care providers, with approximately 4,000 staff shortages and their consequences reported by over 10,000 daycare facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia since the beginning of the year.
Stefan Zimkeit, a state parliamentarian, has stated that it's unacceptable for the Minister to stand by and do nothing regarding the staff shortages in daycare centres. The SPD's finance expert has noted that the state government has not ensured adequate funding for daycare centres for several years.
Thorsten Berg and Stefan Zimkeit are advocating for a reform of the Children's Education Act to regulate daycare centre funding. They believe that the state government must ensure that daycare centres are adequately funded, in the interests of children, their parents, and educators.
The SPD is sharply criticizing Family Minister Josefine Paul of the Greens for not taking action to address staff shortages in daycare centres. They argue that insufficient budget allocations, lack of effective strategies to attract and keep daycare workers, delays or inefficiencies in implementing promised reforms or additional support measures, and political accountability are key issues that need to be addressed.
These problems impact parents and children directly, making them a focal point of political debate. The SPD's criticism could be part of broader demands for more investment and better management to ensure quality daycare services in North Rhine-Westphalia. The figures provided were obtained from a response to the SPD state parliament group from the NRW Ministry of Family Affairs, covering the months of January to April. The staff shortage issue is widespread across districts and cities in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- The SPD's criticism of the state government, which includes the Green party, over staff shortages and funding issues in daycare centres extends to Family Minister Josefine Paul, who is being urged to take action.
- Thorsten Berg, Stefan Zimkeit, and the SPD are advocating for policy and legislation changes, such as a reform of the Children's Education Act, to ensure adequate funding for daycare centres.
- The ongoing staff shortages and funding issues in daycare centres are not just local news but are part of a broader conversation about education-and-self-development, learning, and politics at the state level in North Rhine-Westphalia.
