The reform of the Child Education Act (KiBiz) is a central component in the goal of making North Rhine-Westphalia a better state for children and families.

From the 2020/2021 kindergarten year, the state, federal government and local authorities are investing almost one billion euros a year in the quality of child daycare. In addition, the state is guaranteeing the expansion of every childcare place required in line with demand and is providing targeted relief for families with young children with a second contribution-free year.

1. better framework conditions, more quality and relief for staff by funding more pedagogical staff

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is working with the local authorities to eliminate the structural underfunding of child daycare facilities. Child daycare will be adequately funded in future. From the 2020/2021 kindergarten year, local authorities and the state will each provide an additional 750 million euros per year. More staff can be employed in all of the more than 10,000 daycare facilities. This will relieve the pressure on specialist staff and improve the childcare ratio and quality.

Before the reform, there was a fixed annual increase that did not reflect the actual cost increases and pay rises and was the cause of the funding gap. The state government is now ensuring a reliable funding system. Based on actual cost developments, there will be an index for the annual increase in flat rates - differentiated according to personnel and material costs - and no longer a rigid adjustment of refinancing, which was insufficient in the past.

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is increasing the annual grants per family center from 13,000 euros and 14,000 euros to 20,000 euros. In addition, the financial resources for language support and plusKITAs will be combined and increased from a total of 70 million to 100 million euros.

4. Legal anchoring/protection of management time

Teams and educational work will benefit from the first-ever legal safeguarding of management time for every childcare facility. This new regulation from August 1, 2020 supports quality assurance in childcare facilities.

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia is now also permanently subsidizing specialist advice, which is so important for quality assurance and development: 1,000 euros per daycare facility and 500 euros per childminder.

6. Promotion of training and qualifications

Training child day care facilities receive financial support that can be used for appropriate remuneration of trainees and resources for practical guidance. The youth welfare offices receive a grant of 8,000 euros in the first year of training and 4,000 euros in the second and third year of training to be passed on to the providers who offer practice-integrated training. For students in the final year of "traditional training", the providers receive 4,000 euros per placement via the youth welfare office. In child day care, the competence-oriented qualification is supported with a grant of 2,000 euros.

The increase in state subsidies will strengthen and improve the quality of child day care. For example, the funding of preparation and follow-up times instead of just the pure care time, specialist advice and training hours will be supported.

8th additional year without parental contribution

Families with young children in North Rhine-Westphalia will receive targeted and noticeable relief from the 2020/2021 kindergarten year: The last two years from school enrolment are generally free of charge. The loss of revenue for local authorities amounting to a good 200 million euros per year will be reimbursed in full.

The state government is ensuring that the expansion of places can continue. Every childcare place required for a needs-based expansion on site will be approved and receive investment funding. At least 115 million euros are available for this every year.

The state government is ensuring a better work-life balance. In future, more flexibility will be possible in child daycare - for example through extended opening hours of daycare facilities or additional childcare services. Childcare options at special times, i.e. early in the morning, in the evening and on weekends and public holidays, will be supported. The local authorities decide where there is a particular need for childcare locally and which forms of flexible and supplementary care are used, taking into account the different local circumstances as part of youth welfare planning. For the significant increase in flexibility in child daycare, a total of 50 million euros will be made available in stages, starting from the 2020/2021 kindergarten year and building up to 100 million euros in the 2022/2023 kindergarten year. The local authorities will contribute 20 percent.