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Care for infants and toddlers

6. What care is provided for infants and toddlers?

Care for children up to 3 years

Nursery and personal day care places are offered to look after the youngest children. According to § 1 of the Saxon Law on Day Care and Promotion Facilities for Children (SächsKitaG), nurseries are facilities which generally provide care for children up to their third birthday. Nursery groups may also be integrated into joint day care centres which cater also for older children. A further alternative for children of this age group is day care with a child minder.

Both nurseries and child minders accompany, support and complement the education offered to the child in the family. They thus address independent age-specific and development-oriented education and care objectives within the overall framework of the child's personality development. Parents pay designated fees for day care for their children (see Question 14).

Day care fees

Special case of children under 2 years:
In Dresden, the day care places for children under two years, both in nurseries and with child minders, are allocated on the basis of priorities. In other words: A request for a day care place is treated preferentially if deemed indispensable in view of the parents' social situation. In such cases, before final registration, the parents must furnish evidence that they are both either working or in education or training, or else that other special circumstances necessitate day care for the child.

Nurseries

Each nursery teacher looks after six children. The educational aspect of their work is governed by the specific needs of the infants and toddlers, in particular through individual arrangements for sleeping, appropriate meals and loving care. Daily routines, rooms, furniture and toys are all designed specifically to suit the needs of the children.

The most important basis for the work in child day care is the recognition that education is a process which begins from the very moment of birth. The teaching staff support the children at every stage of their exploration of the world. Stimulus is given above all in play geared to the relevant age group and in healthy physical activities.

A close partnership between the teachers and parents smoothes the transition for the children, especially during the first days of familiarisation, promotes optimum development and contributes essentially to the children's well-being. It is thus always best if parents are able to make use of the opportunity to join their child in the nursery during the initial familiarisation period.

Child minders

Personal day care is a valuable option where families require special support in the individual promotion of their child. This offer is aimed above all at parents with children up to 3 years. Both the educational and organisational aspects are tailored specifically to the needs of the children and their families.

The child is looked after either in its own home or at the home of the child minder. A child minder group can comprise up to five children, in addition to the child minder's own children, meaning that they are able to grow up in the loving atmosphere of a »day family«, as if brothers and sisters. Clear agreements on organisation, understanding on general questions of education, mutual trust and open communication are the foundations for this form of care.

The independent work of a child minder naturally demands a considerable measure of responsibility, awareness and commitment. The children are not merely looked after, they are offered also appropriate opportunities for play in a child-oriented environment, with inspiration for their natural inquisitiveness, and are promoted at every stage of their personal development in close accord with the wishes and expectations of the parents.

According to § 43 of the Social Security Code, Chapter 8, a child minder licence must be obtained by all persons who look after children

during the daytime in rooms outside their home,
for more than 15 hours per week,
against payment and
for longer than three months.

A licence is granted for a maximum of five children and is always valid for a period of five years only. The guardian's supervisory duties pass to the child minder when the latter takes on care for the children in the absence of their parents.

The municipal insurance compensation scheme of the Free State of Saxony (KSA) provides liability insurance cover for care arrangements where a child is looked after outside the home in the family of the person providing the day care. This person must hold a licence issued by the responsible authority in accordance with § 43 of the Social Security Code, Chapter 8. The children are also covered under statutory accident insurance provisions during day care provided by an authorised minder. Prerequisites here are confirmation of the particular fitness of the child minder in accordance with § 23 (3) of the Social Security Code, Chapter 8, and the granting of a child day care licence in accordance with § 43 (see Question 15).

Insurance

Municipal offers for child minder care

The day care places are allocated preferentially to children up to 2 years, on the basis of proven necessity. In other words, day care places are allocated first to those parents who are unable to look after the child themselves due to their work, education or training commitments, or due to other special circumstances (see Question 13).

The City of Dresden provides day care places exclusively with child minders registered with and approved by the municipal child day care agency. The child minder receives compensation for expenses from the City of Dresden, comprising contributions from the Free State of Saxony, the City of Dresden and the parents. Where appropriate, parents can apply for waiving or reduction of the stipulated contribution (see Question 14).

Applications

Parent contributions