Child day care - allocation of places and advice (finding a day carer/childminder)

Entitlement

In principle, children are entitled to daycare from the age of one. Parents can choose between childcare in a daycare facility and childcare in a daycare center. After the child has reached the age of three, they can switch to a day care center. Child day care can be arranged for children under the age of one if the parents/guardians are in employment, taking up employment or looking for work, are in training or if support in child day care serves to ensure the child's welfare.

The aim of the placement in child day care is to provide continuous care, education and upbringing that is tailored to the child's well-being, the parents' wishes and the interests and resources of the local childminder.

General conditions

The scope of care depends on individual needs and can generally be 20, 30, 35 or 40 hours per week.

The rights and obligations arising from the daycare relationship between the childminder and the parents are regulated in a contract.

If the childminder is unavailable, other childcare options can be arranged in consultation with the childminder and the specialist advice center.

During the childminding relationship, there is a right to ongoing support as part of the professional advice provided by the specialist childminding advisors.

Placement

Placement can take place upon application from the time of the child's birth. Parents are entitled to information and advice on all aspects of child day care before submitting their application. As a result of an individual consultation or by e-mail, parents receive information about the places available with a childminder at the desired time of admission. Some childminders can also be registered directly via the Kita-Portal(link is external).

Admission

Admission to a day care center usually takes place after a 14-day settling-in period in the presence of a family caregiver and in consultation with the day care provider.

Fees for day care

The charging of fees is regulated by the fee regulations for the use of daycare facilities for children run by the City of Jena . Fees are charged as a monthly amount (equivalent to a daycare place) and are calculated according to the parents' monthly income, the number of children entitled to child benefit and the scope of care.

• § 24 SGB VIII
• § 2 ThürKigaG
• Thuringian regulation on the organization of child day care (ThürKitapflegVO)
• Statutes of the City of Jena on the promotion and organization of child day care