Social policy milestone in berlin: in future, parents will no longer have to pay contributions to have their children looked after in daycare centers or by childminders.
From 1. August, childcare will no longer cost anything, even for children under one year old; the other five years before the start of school had already been gradually exempted from contributions since 2007. However, parents in all age groups will still have to pay for meals at daycare centers in the future.
Berlin is the first federal state to completely abolish daycare fees. In rhineland-palatinate, children over the age of two have been exempt from paying school fees since 2010. In lower saxony and hesse, childcare from 1. August for children from three years free of charge. Brandenburg also gets in on the action: from 1. August parents no longer have to pay money for the last year of kindergarten.
"Free daycare for all means a tangible financial relief for many parents," said berlin’s family senator sandra scheeres (SPD). "Daycare centers are educational institutions, and education must be free of charge."Federal family minister franziska giffey (SPD) wants daycare centers throughout germany to gradually become tuition-free.