How to receive money for private childcare in Berlin if you can’t find a Kita spot

Finding a Kita is hard in many towns and cities across Germany. Even though every child in Germany over the age of one is entitled to a daycare spot in a Kita or with a Tagesmutter, the reality often looks different.

READ ALSO: How a Berlin childcare crisis is leaving parents stuck at home with their kids

In Berlin, for example, there were nearly 30.000 more children under the age of seven in 2017 compared with 2013. 

This has led to an estimated shortage of Kita spots ranging between 3,000 and 10,000 in Berlin alone – Germany-wide there’s an estimated shortage of 270,000 spots. 

However, if a spot can not be provided, parents may be entitled to compensation. In Berlin, some districts now reimburse parents for their private childcare costs if they fulfill certain criteria. 

The keyword for this program is selbstbeschaffte Kindertagesbetreuung and here’s everything you need to know about it.

What is the “selbstbeschaffte Kindertagesbetreuung”?

The term loosely translates to “self-organized child daycare”. It means that parents who have not been able to secure a Kita spot for their child can hire a private caretaker and apply to have the costs reimbursed by the Jugendamt while they wait for a Kita spot.

As of right now, the Berlin program has been approved for the period September 1st, 2019 to August 20th, 2020.

Who can apply for it?

There’s a few criteria you need to fulfill to be eligible:

• Your child needs to be at least 12 months old

• You need to have a valid Kita-Gutschein (the voucher you need to sign a Kita contract)

• You need to prove that you have unsuccessfully applied for a certain number of Kitas (the exact requirements seem to vary by district, so check with yours what is needed) 

• You need to officially register with your local Jugendamt as a parent that hasn’t been able to secure a spot yet

Tip: You can also apply if you’re bridging the time period before you start a confirmed spot (up to three months, according to the above requirements).

How can I apply?

You have to apply for the program with your local Jugendamt office. Unfortunately, not all the districts have information readily available but I did find documents (in German) for both Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Pankow, which are linked below. 

Photo: DPA

A couple of other offices also provided information and I have summarized everything in a handy table – see below. I will update the table as and when we receive more information from other districts.

If we don’t have information for your district yet, call or visit your local Jugendamt to find out more.

How many hours will be covered and what are the financial details?

The number of hours that will be covered are based on what’s been approved on the Gutschein (for example, with a full-time voucher, you can get up to 7-9 hours covered a day).

However, the maximum amount that will be reimbursed is based on what the district would normally pay the Kita. Pankow lists this as up to €1,349.63 a month for an “outside caretaker” or up to €504 if a family member takes care of your child (both minus the €23 you would normally pay the Kita for lunch).

I’ve been approved, now where can you find a suitable caretaker for your child?

It is important to note that you have to find a caretaker yourself. This can be a babysitter, nanny, a co-working space with childcare or even a family member (but note that you will not get as much money back if a relative takes care of your child – see above point).

The caretaker has to be able to send you monthly invoices detailing the days and times they took care of your child (and is responsible for paying taxes, social security, etc.). You will need to submit the invoices to the Jugendamt to get your money back.

This leads me to another important point: You have to pay the caretaker first and then pass the invoice on to the Jugendamt, so this may be a substantial financial burden to consider!

(I was approved for this program last year when the re-opening of our Kita was delayed and unfortunately, in my case, it took a few months to get all the money back.)

Anything else I should know?

Check what date the agreement (and reimbursement) will kick in – the Jugendamt may only start paying from the date your request was approved from their end (not the date you applied).

This article by Lisa Hübner Moreno was originally published on Kietzee, which helps Berlin parents find a kita near them.

Article source: https://www.thelocal.de/20190917/parents-in-berlin-how-to-receive-money-for-private-childcare-if-you-cant-find-a-kita-spot