What should I consider when choosing a kindergarten for my child?
In order to make the right kindergarten choice for your child, you can pay attention to many things. Most of the characteristics of a good kindergarten will become apparent during a short visit or can be inquired about. For example, the group dynamics can also be assessed during a visit, because these, i.e. the interpersonal relationships between the educators and children, are particularly important.
So deductions can be made elsewhere if the child is released with a clear conscience into a loving environment. Nevertheless, the personnel key should be looked at. On average there are two teachers for about 25 children and this should not be underestimated.
Parents can also pay attention to the size of the group rooms and determine if there is enough space available for the child. This is especially relevant in bad weather, where all children spend hours in the house. Furthermore, it is interesting to know if the kindergarten has a garden and if so the child can go out into the fresh air and how the equipment of toys and handicraft materials is.
Food is also an important point to consider when choosing a kindergarten. This raises the question of whether the child will be fed or whether the parents are responsible for it. Hygiene is just as important, especially in the dining area and in the area of the toilets. All this can be found out in advance by talking to the kindergarten or by visiting them.
What are the costs for a kindergarten?
In Germany, the costs for a kindergarten place are very different. The fees vary not only from municipality to municipality, but also from provider to provider. The decisive factor is whether the kindergarten is a private or public one.
In most cases, parents have to pay more for a place in a kindergarten from a private provider than from a public provider. In a municipal kindergarten, the contribution is usually graded according to the parents’ salary and depends on the number of children per family attending the kindergarten. The costs that the parents have to pay can vary from 50 Euro to 200 Euro.
However, this is dependent on the federal state. The costs of a kindergarten place are made up of the costs of childcare and meals. The food supply costs of the child must always pay the parents completely.
With a public carrier of a kindergarten, i.e. if the operator is a city, district or municipality, it is very different if and how many costs the municipality and how many costs the parents have to pay. There are municipalities that cover the costs completely. As a rule, however, the amount of the parents’ contribution to the costs is calculated depending on the gross annual income, the weekly childcare costs and the number of children per family.
A kindergarten allowance is a benefit paid by the employer in addition to the normal wage. The employer pays all or part of the cost of placing the employee’s children who are not yet of school age in a kindergarten or daycare center. Neither the employee nor the employer has to pay taxes or social security contributions for this benefit.
There is no right to such a subsidy. It is often offered by the employer as an additional benefit to make the job more attractive. The employer is therefore usually approached about this benefit and it is clarified individually with the employee whether a subsidy is paid to him and if so, how much.
