Care provided by a childminder is known as daycare. It is especially for very young children under 3 years a good care alternative. In a family environment, 1 to a maximum of 5 children are cared for at the same time by the daycare provider. Most of the care takes place in the daycare provider's home; some daycare providers also come to the child's home. In addition, there are so-called "Großtagespflegestellen" (large day care centers), in which up to 3 day care providers work together and care for up to 9 children at the same time. Child day care is often particularly flexible: the care times can be arranged individually. This is ideal for parents who have variable working hours or only want their child to be cared for on a daily basis. Daycare providers in North Rhine-Westphalia are qualified to educate, care for and raise children. There are around 66,000 childcare places available in NRW. Placement takes place via the local youth welfare office or a specialist placement agency commissioned by it.
Childcare
The right time for registration
Knowing the child is well cared for
The desire of many parents is to reconcile work and family life. The prerequisite for this is good-quality, reliable daycare. In North Rhine-Westphalia, parents have a choice of various forms of care. If you would like to familiarize yourself with the options while you are still pregnant, you can find an initial overview here.
What form of childcare is right for us?
To approach the topic of daycare and find a solution that works for your family, ask yourself the following questions early on:
- How long do we want to care for our child ourselves? How should parental leave be divided between the parents?
- Is someone within our family eligible for care? For example, grandma or grandpa?
- What other childcare options are suitable for us?
- From what age should our child be cared for?
- How many hours a day or a week is day care necessary?
- On which days of the week do we need day care?
- What costs come to us?
How do we find the right daycare?
In North Rhine-Westphalia, there are a number of different daycare options. A distinction is made between child day care, i.e. care close to the family, especially for children under three years of age with a childminder, and care in day care facilities with many different variants, for example in family centers, as company kindergartens or as parent initiatives. The decision ultimately depends on which offer suits you and is available in your place of residence. It is advisable to inform yourself in good time locally in order to find a suitable place. Parents should notify the responsible youth welfare office of their child's need for care at least 6 months before care is desired. This notification can also be made via a selected daycare center or via the local specialist agency for daycare.
These options for child day care exist in North Rhine-Westphalia:
What does day care cost?
The good news first:
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the last two years of your child's care before starting school are generally free of contributions. Child day care is also free of charge if the cost contributions are not reasonable for parents and child, for example, because of the receipt of certain social benefits.
Otherwise, the following applies:
.
About the parental contributions decides each municipality itself. Information on the calculation of parental contributions can be found on the website of your municipality.
The amount of parental contributions for a place in a day care center or child day care depends, for example,
- how long the child is cared for and
- how high the monthly income of the family is.
Information on the specific amount and calculation of contributions can be found on the municipal websites of your city or municipality.
In addition to the parental contributions to the youth welfare office, additional costs and contributions for meals may also be incurred.
When should we look into childcare?
In fact, in many cities and communities the demand for places in daycare is high. That's why you should find out in good time what options are available to you. Feel free to contact your local youth welfare office if you have any questions about daycare.
More informationLinks for further reading
The KiTa portal of the Ministry for Children, Family, Refugees and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia bundles extensive information and offers around the care and early education of children between 0 and 6 years.
On the portal you will find comprehensive information on day care for children under and over 3 years.
The KiTa-Finder NRW makes it easier for you to search specifically for daycare centers in the area where you live. The online service provides you with descriptions of the pedagogical concept, contact details, and information on the number of groups and places for children in your area.
On the KiTa portal you will also find detailed information on day care.