Nowhere is there a fixed deadline for parents to start thinking about childcare for the first time. However, when applying for parental leave, it is advisable to consider how long the leave should last and what form of childcare will be available to the parents afterward. This article shows what options are available and what advantages and disadvantages they offer. According to the federal government, the forms of care presented here are the most common.
Table of contents
The Classic In Transition: The Daycare Center
Figure 1: Most children go to kindergarten for the first time when they are three or four years old. If parents need reliable care at a younger age, the daycare center may come into question, which is often even located in the same building.
The kindergarten of yesteryear has changed mightily. The kindergarten teachers of yesteryear have become nursery nurses and educators. Today, even the first day of kindergarten is based on a scientifically thought-out acclimatization concept, to which the respective daycare center is committed. And in addition to deciding when a child should be cared for in the daycare center, parents must also decide whether the education that prevails there is Christian, Waldorf, Montessori or some other concept. These are the advantages and disadvantages of care in a daycare center:
| Advantages Of A Daycare Center | Disadvantages Of A Day Care Center |
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It is hardly possible to make a statement about the costs at this point, because the fees vary greatly, especially regionally. In addition, there are different booking times, which often make the fees confusing. This press release shows how different the costs for care can be. A special form of childcare in a daycare center is the company’s own daycare center, which exists in many larger companies. It ensures that parents can return to work quickly.
The Flexible Form Of Childcare: Daycare For Children
Figure 2: Daycare mothers often care for children before they attend kindergarten. The support is highly individualized in small groups of no more than five children.
Day care is particularly suitable before children start attending regular kindergarten (usually from the age of three and a half or four). A childminder looks after a group of up to five children. A look at the following table reveals the advantages and disadvantages of this form of care:
| Advantages Of Day Care | Disadvantages Of Day Care |
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The same applies to childminders: there are big differences from state to state. The Tagesmütter Bundesverband recommends an hourly wage of 5.50 euros. The number of hours and the parents’ income influence the childminder’s fee. There are also subsidies, additional costs, and other factors to consider in the calculation. Details, comparison tables and calculation examples concerning the costs of a childminder can be found under the given link.
Care On A Private Basis: Au-pairs, Surrogate Moms/Opas And Family Sponsorships
Figure 3: If the biological grandparents are not available locally, an au-pair can step in.
These constructs are arguably the modern manifestations of child care today. Above all, these options are united by a private organization, great flexibility, and connection over years. What advantages and disadvantages these variants offer, a look at this table shows:
| Advantages Of Private Care | Disadvantages Of Private Care |
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Au-pairs usually cost room and board and a little pocket money. In return, they bring a new culture into the family, which also promotes the children interculturally. Au-pairs usually work on a voluntary basis. The time they spend with the children enriches their lives, which they often live far away from their own families.
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