Berlin first in Germany to scrap child day care fees
A sociopolitical landmark for Berlin's parents: Starting in August all municipal day care centers in the German capital will be free. Several other states are also looking to phase out the costs for working parents.
Berlin's regional government announced Monday that, beginning next month, parents will no longer have to pay any fees to place their children in municipal day care centers. From August 1, childcare centers in the German capital will be free of charge, including for children under the age of one. Berlin's state government began phasing out childcare fees for other age groups in 2007. However, parents with children across all age groups — from ages zero to six — will still have to pay for food in daycare centers. "For many Berlin families it makes a big difference whether or not they have to pay contributions to the day care center," said Sandra Scheeres, Berlin's Social Democratic (SPD) Senator for Education, Youth and Family. "The free day care center for all means a noticeable financial relief for many parents. Childcare facilities are educational institutions, and education must be free of charge." Germany's federal minister for family affairs, Franziska Giffey (SPD), has indicated she wants to see more day care centers in Germany gradually phase out fees. The government has announced plans to inject some €3.5 billion ($4.1 billion) into childcare services over the next four years. No equality when it comes to nurseries The new legislation makes Berlin the first state to completely abolish fees for municipal day care centers. Some 15,800 children below the age of one are set to benefit. Contributions by parents for the 2017-18 school year totaled around €7 million. Berlin, one of Germany's three city-states along with Hamburg and Bremen, remains the vanguard in Germany when it comes to scrapping childcare fees. Read more: Germany's wage gap also a regional issue Parents in around one-third of German states still have no exemptions from childcare fees, while other state governments have either subsidized or completely lifted fees for certain age groups. In Rhineland-Palatinate, for example, children from the age of two have been exempt from contributions since 2010, while in Lower Saxony and Hesse children from age three will be exempt from fees starting next month. However, other states continue to charge hundreds of euros per month for childcare, often putting mothers off from from returning to work after giving birth. The state with the dearest day care costs is Schleswig-Holstein, where a place in a municipal nursery can cost up to 9 percent of household income. It's followed by Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saarland, which charge 8.2 percent and 7.5 percent of household income respectively. Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. dm/kms (dpa, KNA)
Berlin
Berlin Humboldt_University_of_Berlin Berlin_(band) German_Open_(WTA) Berlin,_New_Hampshire Berlin_Hauptbahnhof Olympiastadion_(Berlin) Berlin,_Connecticut Berlin_International_Film_Festival Berlin,_Maryland Berlin_(Lou_Reed_album) Berlin,_New_Jersey Berlin,_Massachusetts Berlin,_Wisconsin East_Berlin Battle_of_Berlin
Germany
Germany Germany_national_football_team Nazi_Germany German_Empire Germany_women's_national_football_team Weimar_Republic German_Football_Association ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Germany GfK_Entertainment_Charts Germany_national_youth_football_team A1_Team_Germany Germany_national_rugby_union_team Kingdom_of_Germany German_literature Germany_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Same-sex_marriage_in_Germany
Berlin
Berlin Humboldt_University_of_Berlin Berlin_(band) German_Open_(WTA) Berlin,_New_Hampshire Berlin_Hauptbahnhof Olympiastadion_(Berlin) Berlin,_Connecticut Berlin_International_Film_Festival Berlin,_Maryland Berlin_(Lou_Reed_album) Berlin,_New_Jersey Berlin,_Massachusetts Berlin,_Wisconsin East_Berlin Battle_of_Berlin
August
German
Berlin
Berlin Humboldt_University_of_Berlin Berlin_(band) German_Open_(WTA) Berlin,_New_Hampshire Berlin_Hauptbahnhof Olympiastadion_(Berlin) Berlin,_Connecticut Berlin_International_Film_Festival Berlin,_Maryland Berlin_(Lou_Reed_album) Berlin,_New_Jersey Berlin,_Massachusetts Berlin,_Wisconsin East_Berlin Battle_of_Berlin
Monday
August 1
German
Berlin
Berlin Humboldt_University_of_Berlin Berlin_(band) German_Open_(WTA) Berlin,_New_Hampshire Berlin_Hauptbahnhof Olympiastadion_(Berlin) Berlin,_Connecticut Berlin_International_Film_Festival Berlin,_Maryland Berlin_(Lou_Reed_album) Berlin,_New_Jersey Berlin,_Massachusetts Berlin,_Wisconsin East_Berlin Battle_of_Berlin
2007
Berlin
Berlin Humboldt_University_of_Berlin Berlin_(band) German_Open_(WTA) Berlin,_New_Hampshire Berlin_Hauptbahnhof Olympiastadion_(Berlin) Berlin,_Connecticut Berlin_International_Film_Festival Berlin,_Maryland Berlin_(Lou_Reed_album) Berlin,_New_Jersey Berlin,_Massachusetts Berlin,_Wisconsin East_Berlin Battle_of_Berlin
Sandra Scheeres
Berlin
Berlin Humboldt_University_of_Berlin Berlin_(band) German_Open_(WTA) Berlin,_New_Hampshire Berlin_Hauptbahnhof Olympiastadion_(Berlin) Berlin,_Connecticut Berlin_International_Film_Festival Berlin,_Maryland Berlin_(Lou_Reed_album) Berlin,_New_Jersey Berlin,_Massachusetts Berlin,_Wisconsin East_Berlin Battle_of_Berlin
Social Democratic
Social_democracy Swedish_Social_Democratic_Party Social_Democratic_Party_(Portugal) Social_Democratic_Party_(Japan) Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany Socialist_Party_of_America Social_Democratic_Party_of_Finland Social_Democratic_Party_of_Austria Social_Democratic_Party_of_America Social_Democrats_(Denmark) Social_Democratic_Party_(UK) Social_Democratic_Party_(Romania) Socialism_in_the_Netherlands Social_Democratic_Party_of_Switzerland Czech_Social_Democratic_Party Social_Democratic_Party_(Estonia)
SPD
Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany Freedom_and_Direct_Democracy Shepshed_Dynamo_F.C. Social_Democratic_Party Semen_Padang_F.C. Scottish_Football_League_Premier_Division Social_Democratic_Party_in_the_GDR St_Patrick's_College,_Dublin Serial_presence_detect S.P.D._(song) 1992–93_Scottish_Premier_Division 1987–88_Scottish_Premier_Division 1986–87_Scottish_Premier_Division Power_Rangers_S.P.D. SPD_Bavaria Norwegian_speciedaler
Senator
Education, Youth and Family
Germany
Germany Germany_national_football_team Nazi_Germany German_Empire Germany_women's_national_football_team Weimar_Republic German_Football_Association ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Germany GfK_Entertainment_Charts Germany_national_youth_football_team A1_Team_Germany Germany_national_rugby_union_team Kingdom_of_Germany German_literature Germany_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Same-sex_marriage_in_Germany
Franziska Giffey
Franziska_Giffey
SPD
Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany Freedom_and_Direct_Democracy Shepshed_Dynamo_F.C. Social_Democratic_Party Semen_Padang_F.C. Scottish_Football_League_Premier_Division Social_Democratic_Party_in_the_GDR St_Patrick's_College,_Dublin Serial_presence_detect S.P.D._(song) 1992–93_Scottish_Premier_Division 1987–88_Scottish_Premier_Division 1986–87_Scottish_Premier_Division Power_Rangers_S.P.D. SPD_Bavaria Norwegian_speciedaler
Germany
Germany Germany_national_football_team Nazi_Germany German_Empire Germany_women's_national_football_team Weimar_Republic German_Football_Association ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Germany GfK_Entertainment_Charts Germany_national_youth_football_team A1_Team_Germany Germany_national_rugby_union_team Kingdom_of_Germany German_literature Germany_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Same-sex_marriage_in_Germany
€3.5 billion
$4.1 billion
Berlin
Berlin Humboldt_University_of_Berlin Berlin_(band) German_Open_(WTA) Berlin,_New_Hampshire Berlin_Hauptbahnhof Olympiastadion_(Berlin) Berlin,_Connecticut Berlin_International_Film_Festival Berlin,_Maryland Berlin_(Lou_Reed_album) Berlin,_New_Jersey Berlin,_Massachusetts Berlin,_Wisconsin East_Berlin Battle_of_Berlin
2017
18
€7 million
Berlin
Berlin Humboldt_University_of_Berlin Berlin_(band) German_Open_(WTA) Berlin,_New_Hampshire Berlin_Hauptbahnhof Olympiastadion_(Berlin) Berlin,_Connecticut Berlin_International_Film_Festival Berlin,_Maryland Berlin_(Lou_Reed_album) Berlin,_New_Jersey Berlin,_Massachusetts Berlin,_Wisconsin East_Berlin Battle_of_Berlin
Germany
Germany Germany_national_football_team Nazi_Germany German_Empire Germany_women's_national_football_team Weimar_Republic German_Football_Association ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Germany GfK_Entertainment_Charts Germany_national_youth_football_team A1_Team_Germany Germany_national_rugby_union_team Kingdom_of_Germany German_literature Germany_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Same-sex_marriage_in_Germany
Hamburg
Hamburg Hamburger_SV German_Open_Tennis_Championships Hamburg_Hauptbahnhof Hamburg,_New_York University_of_Hamburg WTA_Hamburg Hamburg,_Pennsylvania Hamburg,_Arkansas Hamburg,_New_Jersey Hamburg_Airport Hamburg_(horse) Hamburg_(village),_New_York Handball_Hamburg Bombing_of_Hamburg_in_World_War_II Hamburg,_Iowa
Bremen
Bremen Bremen_(state) Archbishopric_of_Bremen Bremen_Hauptbahnhof Bremen,_Georgia Bremen_(aircraft) Bremen,_Indiana Bremen,_Maine SS_Bremen_(1928) Bremen_Airport Bremen,_Alabama SV_Werder_Bremen Bremen-Verden Bremen,_Ohio Bremen_High_School_(Bremen,_Indiana) Bremen_Township,_Cook_County,_Illinois
Germany
Germany Germany_national_football_team Nazi_Germany German_Empire Germany_women's_national_football_team Weimar_Republic German_Football_Association ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Germany GfK_Entertainment_Charts Germany_national_youth_football_team A1_Team_Germany Germany_national_rugby_union_team Kingdom_of_Germany German_literature Germany_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Same-sex_marriage_in_Germany
Germany
Germany Germany_national_football_team Nazi_Germany German_Empire Germany_women's_national_football_team Weimar_Republic German_Football_Association ISU_Junior_Grand_Prix_in_Germany GfK_Entertainment_Charts Germany_national_youth_football_team A1_Team_Germany Germany_national_rugby_union_team Kingdom_of_Germany German_literature Germany_men's_national_ice_hockey_team Same-sex_marriage_in_Germany
German
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate Landtag_of_Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate_state_election,_2011 List_of_Ministers-President_of_Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate_state_election,_2016 Palatinate_(region) List_of_mountains_and_hills_of_Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate_Police
2010
Lower Saxony
Lower_Saxony Lower_Saxon_Circle Lower_Saxony_Cup Landtag_of_Lower_Saxony Niedersachsenliga Lower_Saxon_Wadden_Sea_National_Park List_of_windmills_in_Lower_Saxony Duchy_of_Saxony Lower_Saxony_Football_Association List_of_mountains_and_hills_of_Lower_Saxony List_of_nature_reserves_in_Lower_Saxony Lower_Saxon_cuisine Lower_Saxony_state_election,_2008 Saxony
Hesse
Hesse Landgraviate_of_Hesse Grand_Duchy_of_Hesse House_of_Hesse People's_State_of_Hesse Electorate_of_Hesse Landgraviate_of_Hesse-Kassel Hermann_Hesse Hessian_Football_Association Hessian_Cup Hesse,_Moselle Landtag_of_Hesse Uwe_Hesse Hesse,_Victoria Province_of_Kurhessen Otto_Hesse
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein Province_of_Schleswig-Holstein SMS_Schleswig-Holstein German_frigate_Schleswig-Holstein Landtag_of_Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein_Musik_Festival Schleswig-Holstein_Cup Schleswig-Holstein_Question Gau_Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein-Liga History_of_Schleswig-Holstein Hamburg-class_destroyer List_of_rulers_of_Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein_Wadden_Sea_National_Park Schleswig-Holstein_state_election,_2012 Schleswig-Holstein_Football_Association
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern List_of_nature_reserves_in_Mecklenburg-Western_Pomerania
Saarland
Saarland Saarland_national_football_team Saar_Protectorate Territory_of_the_Saar_Basin Saarland_Cup Landtag_of_Saarland Saarland_state_election,_2009 .saarland Saarland_Football_Association Saarland_University List_of_mountains_and_hills_of_the_Saarland Amateurliga_Saarland Saar_(1920-1935) Saar_at_the_1952_Summer_Olympics Saarland_state_election,_2012
1830 UTC
DW
Drum_Workshop Deutsche_Welle DW-TV Defender_(association_football) Dreamworld_(Australian_theme_park) Data_warehouse Delhi_Wizards D.W._Read DW Discworld
dm/kms (dpa, KNA)
Social Democratic
Social_Democratic_Party_of_Germany
iptc::11000000 topic::politics type::entity type::organization type::party
Berlin
Berlin
slot::in slot::keyword topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe1 type::gpe2 type::location
Germany
Germany
slot::in topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe0 type::location
August
topic::none type::time type::value
German
topic::none type::gpe0-x type::other
Monday
topic::none type::time type::value
August 1
topic::none type::time type::value
2007
topic::none type::time type::value
Sandra Scheeres
wikidata:Q1722343
gender::female iptc::11000000 topic::politics type::entity type::person type::politician
Senator
topic::none type::role type::value
Education, Youth and Family
iptc::11000000 policy::education policy::family topic::politics type::entity type::governmental_organisation type::ministry type::organization
Franziska Giffey
Franziska_Giffey
gender::female iptc::11000000 policy::family topic::politics type::entity type::minister type::person type::politician
€3.5 billion
topic::none type::money type::value
$4.1 billion
topic::none type::money type::value
2017
topic::none type::time type::value
18
topic::none type::time type::value
€7 million
topic::none type::money type::value
Hamburg
Hamburg
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe2 type::location
Bremen
Bremen
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe2 type::location
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe1 type::location
2010
topic::none type::time type::value
Lower Saxony
Lower_Saxony
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe1 type::location
Hesse
Hesse
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe1 type::location
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe1 type::location
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe1 type::location
Saarland
Saarland
topic::none type::entity type::gpe type::gpe1 type::location
1830 UTC
topic::none type::time type::value
DW
Deutsche_Welle
topic::media type::entity type::media type::organization
dm/kms (dpa, KNA)
topic::none type::role type::value