Good-Kita-law: Franziska Giffey threatens shame for Giffey

ATWhen Manuela Schwesig (SPD) was still the Federal Minister for Women, Family, Youth and the Elderly, her goal was a "quality law" for day-care centers, which set uniform standards for the gardens of the country. Children nationwide, key personnel in the education plan. That's what Schwesig said three years ago at a Kita Congress in Berlin. But since education, even early childhood, still comes from the country and the kindergarten landscape is a patchwork similar to that of the school system, has developed the federal-state "Early Education" working group, which is the cornerstone of a "quality development law".

With financial badistance from the federal government, this should gradually lead to an improvement in early childhood education and comparable standards of care. Current Family Minister Franziska Giffey has placed the legacy of her party friend under the catchy title "Act of Good Kita" from October at first reading in the Bundestag. 5.5 billion euros will initially be transferred from 2019 to 2022 via tax points on sales to countries.

They should invest primarily in the quality of care, such as improving staff, well trained professionals and opening hours tailored to the needs. However, funds can also be used to reduce contributions, up to the freedom of contribution – to reduce "barriers to access to early childhood education". With the official name the law therefore also calls "law for the improvement of quality and for participation in the care of children". It should come into effect on January 1st.

A "law of money for everything"?

But now, the legislative plan is blocked. Among the experts who were to vote in the Family Committee, the "Good-Kita-Gesetz" was adopted. Above all, they complain that the money can be spent both for the quality improvement and for the fee waiver. Thus, the "good law Kita" to "money for all laws", has been criticized about Susanne Viernickel, professor of preschool education in Leipzig. His conclusion: "Freedom of parenting funding for parents is a welcome family policy, but improves quality in any kindergarten.It should not be funded by this law, but otherwise "Viernickel is not the only one to criticize: nine out of ten experts voted against the law during the hearing.

And even the coalition parties are no longer in agreement. The latest readings of the law, originally scheduled for this week, have been postponed for the time being due to differences between coalition partners, CDU, CSU and SPD. And also countries have strong reservations. In his statement, the Federal Council called for "permanent federal financial allocations of at least two billion euros" beyond 2022.

In addition, countries are opposed to the law which gives priority to certain quality development measures. Here, the federal government intervenes in the jurisdictions of federal states. "The federal states themselves decide on the objectives they want to achieve and the corresponding allocation of funds," states the Federal Council statement.

What that means has already been made clear to Manuela Schwesig, Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania since last July. Their SPD-CDU coalition promised the citizens to anticipate funds from the "law of good Kita" until in 2020, the Kita totally free – in a structurally weak state, parental contributions are up to 39%. now high.

Schwesig now reacts accordingly to the blocked negotiations. "I fear that some CDU MPs will want to restrict the use of funds," Schwesig Welt said. "Nurseries are a concern throughout Germany, but the situation in the different federal states is very different, which is why the federal states are right to decide how to use the funds for their benefit. parents and their children. "But that's not all: the federal government must also let funds circulate permanently. "Once non-contributory must always be called contributory," said Schwesig. "I will no longer be able to raise parental contributions in 2022 because the federal government will resign, which is why we need a commitment beyond 2022."

Requests that the Union has so far rejected. "As Federal Minister for the Family, Ms Schwesig has always insisted that we need well-equipped childcare facilities so that children have better opportunities and skilled workers for better working conditions," said the manager. from the CDU family, Marcus Weinberg. "Now, she is publicly accusing the union of blocking the" day care law "because we do not want to spend the entire amount in no-cost fees."

Here, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in terms of quality of care already occupies the last place among the federal states. The Union now wants to reach a "quick agreement, but also balanced, with the SPD". After the quantitative expansion of recent years, however, the improvement of the quality of child gardens is now clearly in the forefront for the Union.

The opposition sees it the same way. "When quality is important, quality must be included, but that does not respect the so-called federal government's good Kita law," said Green Party leader Annalena Baerbock WORLD. The social phasing of parental contributions and the proposed exemption for recipients of child allowance and housing badistance are correct. "In addition, measures relating to freedom of contribution in a quality law have no place," said Baerbock.

"An educator should have to look after at least four children under the age of three and nine years old by the age of three at the same time, so federal money should not be spent on liberty. only when the level of quality is achieved. "The law lacks clear objectives" and long-term funding to achieve the objectives, so it is urgent to improve parliamentary procedure.

The spokesman of the FDP parliamentary group on the politics of children and youth, Matthias Seestern-Pauly, even spoke of a "disaster". He criticized: "The Minister of the Family has promised a lot – and has not kept anything in. First of all, the law has been delayed, then criticized by the experts and now the support in its own right. ranks fades. "If the law is no longer pbaded this year, it again shows how badly it was framed.

The deadlines this year are rare: only the mid-December session week is in question. The Federal Council will meet for the last time this year on December 14th. Until then, the group leaders of the CDU, the CSU and the SPD would have agreed on a new common line. Otherwise, Family Minister Giffey is embarrbaded by her first big law. It should not promote the will of the SPD to remain in the unpopular coalition, not only.