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Daycare centers in the Werra-Meißner district at the limit: emergency care due to a lack of staff!
In the Werra-Meißner district, emergency care days in daycare centers are increasing due to a lack of staff; Forecasts warn of system collapse by 2030.
Daycare centers in the Werra-Meißner district at the limit: emergency care due to a lack of staff!
There is a serious bottleneck in the Werra-Meißner district that is affecting many daycare centers. Frequent absences from illness mean that the number of emergency care days has risen steadily in recent months. The current situation is so tense that Dr. Isabel Carqueville from the Education and Science Union urgently warns: “We are facing an impending collapse of the daycare system in Hesse, and this particularly affects the Werra-Meißner district.” reports the HNA.
The forecasts for staffing needs are alarming. By 2030, a staff shortage of around 17% is expected in social and educational professions - a value that exceeds the Hesse-wide average of 14%. Educators are therefore under immense pressure to maintain the quality of care through overtime and substitutions, while at the same time the time for educational work decreases and the risk of exhaustion increases.
The consequences for daycare centers
The district's press spokeswoman, Alisa Roth, explains that the staff shortage is often due to absences due to illness that cannot be made up for by the existing staff. A survey among the district's mayors shows that although more emergency care days are noted, there is no direct connection between unfilled positions and these days. “When the staff is present, we can guarantee high-quality care,” says Roth.
Another problem is that group closures due to staff absences often occur. However, the affected daycare centers cannot be named for data protection reasons. In response to the situation, the district plans to increase the legally required downtime for illness from 15% to 22% of human resources specialist hours.
A look into the future
The daycare centers and their providers are trying to normalize operations as quickly as possible. Emergency care or complete closures should only take place in extreme emergencies. Nevertheless, the increase in emergency care days in recent years shows that there is a need for action to ensure the quality and availability of care in the long term. It remains to be seen how the district and those responsible will meet the challenges in order to meet the needs of families and children.