Childcare – a particularly responsible job that is paid far too little. In August 2013, the legal entitlement to a childcare place for children under three came into force in Germany. Numerous new childcare places had to be created, and the acute shortage of skilled childcare workers, which had already been emerging beforehand, became even more acute as a result. The problem: low pay for high performance, unfavourable working conditions and a lack of social recognition put off potential candidates. ‘Children are our greatest asset’ – you hear and read this sentence again and again. Conversely, this means that people who are professionally entrusted with children carry a particularly important and responsible task. As experts in upbringing and care, they genuinely accompany children in developing into responsible, socially capable individuals, paving the way towards school and acting as important points of contact for parents.
