Full day

All-day facilitates the reconciliation of work and family

The all-day program closes the childcare gap

With the start of the elementary school years, the question of afternoon care for the child arises anew for many parents. While there is a childcare entitlement in the Kita time, this comes for children of elementary school age only growing up from 2026. Many elementary school in NRW already offer an open all-day or care offers. Find out here what all-day care has to offer and what advantages all-day care has for children of primary school age.

OGS, School from Eight to One, Thirteen Plus: Which concept suits us?

The structure of the all-day program and the childcare options can vary from school to school. Find out more on the school homepage or ask the elementary school that is suitable for your child or the school board responsible for the school directly about the specific offers.

Here is an overview of the various offers:

1. The open all-day school (OGS)
North Rhine-Westphalia has a very large number of all-day schools. In the elementary school sector, more than 90% of schools are currently open all-day schools, known as OGS. As a rule, children are cared for at school from Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but at least until 3:00 p.m.. Lunch can usually be booked through the school board. The school authority or the public youth welfare agency may charge a parental contribution for the OGS.

An additional fee may be charged for the midday meal. You can find out how high the costs are by contacting the school or the school authority responsible for the school. Parents are required to enroll their child in the all-day program for one year, since children can receive optimal support if their participation is guaranteed on a regular basis.
2. The school from eight to one
This is a reliable care during hours when there are no classes. Please also inquire about this according to your local circumstances.
3. Thirteen Plus
In this model, the school offers an afternoon program for children after classes. In addition to lunch together, this offer can include homework supervision and various leisure activities - also during school vacations. As a rule, costs are incurred for the additional care time, depending on the parents' income. The school responsible in each case will provide information about the amount of the costs.

Parents should clarify these questions early on

Consider in good time how your care needs look:

On what days and at what times is additional care desirable?
Which care times / care forms are offered at the desired school?
What exactly is your work situation? Can you do parts of your work in the home office? Are you flexible in terms of time in your work?
How does the education and care offered in the all-day fit your individual needs?
Are there other elementary schools within easy reach with a more suitable all-day offer?
What is the cost of all-day care, lunch and any other leisure activities within the care?
What optional care services are available? For example, can care be organized within the family, circle of friends or with other concerned parents?

Please note: In some schools, the care places in the full day are very much in demand. Register your wishes in good time. Even with early registration, a place in the OGS is currently not guaranteed at some elementary schools.

The all-day program offers extended educational and recreational opportunities

Open all-day schooling is appreciated by many families in NRW. After all, school is more than just a place of learning. School life consisting of lessons and a varied afternoon program can be an enrichment for children and parents. On the one hand, safe and reliable care is guaranteed, on the other hand, your child benefits from the additional support in many areas, from varied leisure activities and from spending time with friends and classmates.

The offer in the all-day is diverse, allowing children to discover and develop their talents and interests. These include, for example:

Cultural and creative offers, for example in cooperation with music and painting schools
Sports offers in cooperation with sports clubs
Working groups and projects
Sufficient free space and freely designable time to play
Lunch supervision
Homework supervision / learning times
Individual support offers for learning difficulties and for gifted children

Full-day learning has advantages for children and parents

Advantages of the full day at a glance:

More time for education
Children in the OGS have more time to deepen and complete learning content.
Broader educational offer
The all-day program offers an expanded range of learning and recreational activities, including science, art, music and sports.
More support
Full-day programs promote children's academic success through additional offerings.
Social development
Children have more opportunities to make friends, engage with peers, argue and make up, and thus develop social skills.
More independence
In the all-day program, children learn to be more independent and to take personal responsibility for their learning and leisure activities.
Support
Children have a protected environment where they feel comfortable and can spend their free time safely.
Relief for parents
As a working parent, you don't have to worry about your child being home alone in the afternoon.
Integration and cultural diversity
Children from different cultures meet at an all-day school and learn from each other. This can help to promote integration.

A legal right to all-day care comes in 2026

The all-day programs at elementary schools are being continuously expanded in North Rhine-Westphalia. The law on all-day support for children of primary school age provides for a legal entitlement to all-day care if parents so wish. From August 2026, all elementary school children in the first grades will initially be entitled to all-day support. The entitlement will be extended by one grade level in each of the subsequent years. From August 2029, every elementary school child in grades one to four will then have a right to full-day support.

Where can we find help and advice?

Help in finding the right elementary school for your child is offered by the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Education on the page "School Search".

If you have questions about how to have your child looked after during the school vacations, there are detailed tips on the holiday care page here on the family portal.NRW.

To plan your child's care well during the vacations, you can find all holiday dates for the school years up to 2029/30 on the page of the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Education.

For questions about balancing family and career, the Employment Agency offers advice and online information.