Registration in the day care center: What you need to know
Depending on the provider of a day-care center, the procedure for registering for a day-care center also differs. For the city and municipal day-care center, registration is carried out centrally via an application. The private institutions have their own admission rules. Find out more about the practice of registering for a day care center here.
Different procedures for day care center registration
The procedure for registering for a day care center in Germany varies depending on the municipality and facility. In addition to the general formalities, the registration period is also different. Some facilities are so popular that some parents put their offspring on the waiting list while they are still pregnant. In some daycare centers, this is the only way they have a realistic chance of getting a place.
Registration in a municipal day-care center
We have summarized what you should consider when registering in a municipal day-care center:
- Time: You can start registering for daycare in a municipal facility immediately after the birth of your baby. In most day-care centers, the registration period ends no later than two to six months before the desired start of care. After registering, your child will be put on the waiting list for a day care center in the municipality responsible for you.
- Place of registration: If you would like to register your child in a municipal facility, it is best to contact the responsible youth welfare office directly. In addition to a list of the day-care centers, you will also receive all the necessary application forms for registering in the day-care center. If you are interested in more than just one day care center, you still only need to fill out one application, as places are allocated centrally.
- Registration procedure: First you have to submit the registration form to the youth welfare office. This includes: Your working and commuting times, the desired duration of care and the “desired day-care center” for your child. In addition, you must specify other daycare centers that you would switch to if there are no more places available in your chosen daycare center. The responsible municipality will then check the application and allocate a place to your child. It is quite possible that this is not the daycare center you want or your alternative daycare center. The municipality can allocate your child a place in any day-care center that is no more than half an hour away from where you live.
A notice:Places in a municipal or city facility are only given to children who are also registered in the respective municipality. - Amount of costs: The day-care center costs are determined individually by the individual municipalities and therefore vary greatly. They are calculated by the responsible youth welfare agency, taking into account the income of the parents, the number of children and the length of the childcare period.
Registration in a private day-care center
You can also register your child in a private day-care center at the same time as you register in a municipal day-care center. Here you should note the following things:
- Time: If you want to register your child in a private day care center, you should look for a place in good time. Some facilities are so popular that some parents put their unborn children on the waiting list.
- Place of registration: At a private facility, you can contact the management or the operator of the day-care center directly to find out more about the registration formalities there.
- Registration procedure: During the opening hours of the private day care center you can contact the management and receive the necessary application forms from them or have your child put on the waiting list on site. In the spring, a large number of day-care centers also organize information evenings for parents. On these evenings, you not only have the opportunity to get a first impression of the day-care center, but you can also find out more about the pedagogical concept and the organizational process. Many parents also take the opportunity to register their child or have it put on the waiting list.
- Amount of costs: You usually have to pay more for a place in a private day-care center than for a place in a municipal day-care center. Fees are set by the facility owner. You can simply ask the management or the operator of the day-care center for this.