🧸 Daycare, childminders and all-day care at primary school age
In brief
Your child has a right to a childcare place.
- From the first to the third birthday: daycare centre (Kita) or childminder.
- From the third birthday until starting school: daycare centre.
- All-day care: a child who attends the first grade in the 2026/2027 school year or later is entitled to it from starting school until the start of the fifth grade, eight hours on working days. School lessons count. Children who are already in grades 2 to 4 in 2026/2027 do not have this entitlement yet; grades 1 to 4 are only fully covered from the 2029/2030 school year.
For children under one year there is a place if it is good for their development or the parents work, are in training or receive benefits for integration into work under the Second Book of the Social Code (SGB II).
Register your need early with the Jugendamt or the city.
Step by step
- Register your needRegister the need with the local Jugendamt or the city.
- Clarify the scopeState how many hours you need.
- Ask about costsFees are set by the states and municipalities. Ask about fee exemption, subsidies or reductions.
- Keep everything in writingKeep your registration and the replies.
Deadlines
- Children in grades 2 to 4 in the 2026/2027 school year do not have the all-day entitlement yet; full coverage of grades 1 to 4 applies only from 2029/2030. Ask your school or municipality.
- Parental fees are state and municipal law and differ widely.
- What you can do if no place is available is a question for your individual case; get advice.
- All-day care: under § 24 Abs. 4 SGB VIII, state law may allow closure of up to four weeks during school holidays; Bavaria uses this (not checked in full text).
- The federal entitlement ends at the start of grade 5. In Berlin (primary school grades 1 to 6, § 20 SchulG Bln) there is no federal entitlement for grades 5/6, only state law (supplementary support and care, scope not checked).
- Parental fees: BE daycare free of charge since 1 August 2018 (TKBG). NRW last two daycare years free (§ 50 KiBiz), three if school entry is deferred (§ 35 Abs. 3 SchulG NRW), otherwise municipal by-laws (§ 51 KiBiz). BY no fee exemption, fee subsidy of €100/month from September after the 3rd birthday until school enrolment (Art. 23 BayKiBiG). Other states not checked.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Legal entitlement
§ 24 SGB VIII: A child under one year is supported if this is necessary for its development or if the persons with parental responsibility are employed, in training or receiving benefits for integration into work within the meaning of the Second Book (§ 24 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 Buchst. c SGB VIII). From the completed first year of life until the completed third year there is an entitlement to a place in a daycare facility or with a childminder. From the completed third year until school entry there is an entitlement to support in a daycare facility.
Primary school age
Under § 24 Abs. 4 SGB VIII in the version retrieved, a child who attends the first grade in the 2026/2027 school year or later is entitled to support from school entry until the start of the fifth grade on working days for eight hours a day; school lessons fulfil the entitlement, and holiday programmes can also fulfil it. Children who attend grades 2 to 4 in the 2026/2027 school year do not have the entitlement yet; grades 1 to 4 are fully covered only from the 2029/2030 school year. For children without this entitlement a needs-based offer must be provided (Abs. 5).
State law (Bavaria, NRW, Berlin)
All-day care: reservation in § 24 Abs. 4 SGB VIII, state law may allow up to four weeks' closure during school holidays; Bavaria uses this (not checked in full text). Berlin: primary school runs to grade 6 (§ 20 SchulG Bln), there is no federal entitlement for grades 5/6. Parental fees: see notes; legal bases TKBG (Berlin), §§ 50, 51 KiBiz (NRW), Art. 23 BayKiBiG (Bavaria).
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