Preparations for "Daycare Opportunity Year" begin

Language-learning support for Berlin preschoolers is to be improved.

In the future, children who do not speak German properly and have not yet been placed in a daycare center will have to complete a mandatory "daycare opportunity year" ("Kita-Chancenjahr"). This means that they must attend a daycare center or comparable language support programs offered by independent providers for at least one year before starting school - and for 35 hours per week in each case. If parents do not comply, they could face a fine in the worst case.

Concept presentation completed

Berlin's Senator for Education Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU) and State Secretary Falko Liecke presented the concept on Thursday. According to the concept, from the 2025/2026 daycare year on, all children aged three will automatically receive a so-called daycare "welcome voucher". For children who then do not go to a daycare center and later show deficits in the language level assessment, the "daycare opportunity year" will take effect. This also applies to children who do not take part in this language test, which takes place at around 4.5 years of age.

Around 2,000 children in focus

According to the two politicians, the new approach focuses on around 2,000 children a year who do not attend daycare centers. According to all experience, around 80 percent of them have language deficits. The implementation of the project includes amendments to the law and numerous other changes, also in coordination with the districts, which will take a long time. The goal of the new approach is more equal opportunities and higher quality in early childhood education, Günther-Wünsch said. In addition, the Senate wants to improve access to Berlin's 2,900 daycare centers and thus to early childhood education, and also reduce reservations that still exist in some families. The "Kita-Chancenjahr" is a key issue in the field of education.

Einheitliche Standards und verbindliche Regelungen

In Berlin gibt es bereits Regelungen für Kinder, die nicht richtig deutsch sprechen können: Diese sind eigentlich verpflichtet, in den 18 Monaten bis zur Einschulung eine Sprachförderung an einer Kita zu besuchen. In der Praxis wird die Regelung aber nur wenig umgesetzt, schon gar nicht nach einheitlichen Standards. «Wir wollen, dass die schulgesetzlich verpflichtende Förderung für Kinder mit Sprachförderbedarf endlich zielgerichtet und konsequent umgesetzt wird», sagte die Senatorin dazu. Mit dem «Willkommensgutschein» sollten sämtliche Familien bereits sehr früh auf die kostenfreien Betreuungsmöglichkeiten in Kitas hingewiesen werden.