Day care centers
Parents in Salzgitter can choose from a range of daycare services offered by different providers and with different concepts in the 43 daycare centers.

The sponsors or sponsoring associations of daycare centers are Protestant Church (22 facilities), Catholic Church (6), Arbeiterwohlfahrt (6), German Red Cross (2), Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (1), SOS-Mütterzentrum (1), and 4 parents' initiatives. The daycare centers offer infant care, care for kindergarten children and after-school care.

Demand for infant care is increasing
Infants from infancy to the age of 3 are cared for in crèches by up to three professionals in groups of no more than 15 children.

There are 76 crèche places and around 30 places in family groups available for this age group. Up to three children under the age of three can be admitted to regular kindergarten groups. Around 30 of these children are cared for in daycare centers throughout the city.

The number of births in Salzgitter has changed only slightly since 2003. The newly introduced parental allowance, which parents can receive for a maximum of 14 months after the birth of their child, is also likely to trigger an increase in demand for childcare after the first year of life. It is assumed that an additional 500 childcare places will be required for children under the age of three.

In line with the national target, Salzgitter is also expected to meet 35% of the demand for childcare for children under the age of three by 2013. Many daycare centers are already responding to the growing demand for crèche places by converting regular kindergarten groups into mixed-age family groups.

Kindergarten places in demand
There are 3,009 places available for children aged three to six. According to an evaluation of the 2006 school entry examination, 87 percent of children in this age group attended a kindergarten for at least one year before starting school. All children from the age of 3 until they start school have a legal entitlement to a place. A maximum of 25 children are cared for by at least two professionals.

Since August 1, 2007, the costs for attending kindergarten have been covered by the state for the last year of kindergarten in Lower Saxony. Since August 1, 2008, parents in Salzgitter have not had to pay a kindergarten fee. This is intended to enable all children from the age of 3 to receive comprehensive care, education and support in day care centers.

Support and leisure activities in after-school care
A total of 142 after-school care places are offered in all major districts of Salzgitter. Children of primary school age can attend after-school care before and after school. In addition to assistance with schoolwork, a wide range of educationally-oriented leisure activities are offered. After-school care groups have a maximum size of 20 children, to which two specialists are assigned.

Family groups are a combination of all or two offers in mixed-age groups of 0 to 14-year-olds. A wide range of stimulation and joint learning between children of different ages are the special features of this form of childcare.

Learning educators
The specialist staff in the day nurseries have a range of training from social education workers, nursery teachers and childcare workers. They undergo continuous further training at educational events organized by churches and independent providers, accompanied by the specialist service for children, youth and families. The training focuses on

• motor pedagogical qualification / psychomotor skills
• music qualification
• learning through discovery: research and technology
• Recognizing dangers / implementing the duty to protect the welfare of children in daycare centres.

Language support
With the support of state funding, children with a migration background and socially disadvantaged children are supported in a language support program in 31 daycare centres by 23 specially trained language support staff. The daycare centers were equipped with didactic materials for language promotion.

Integration
The integration of disabled children in the regular daycare centers is supported by an integration officer. Integration groups are offered in 7 daycare centers. They look after 24 children. This offer is supplemented by individual integration in a further 4 daycare centers.

Registrations for attendance at daycare centers are accepted at the respective facilities. A meal fee of 45 euros per month is charged for participation in the lunchtime meals.

Daycare centers as decentralized family service points
To provide more advice, support and family-friendly services, Salzgitter launched the Family Service in 2007, which is funded by the state of Lower Saxony. 35 decentralized family service points offer
have been offering these services directly in the daycare centers since June 18, 2008.

Child day care
In principle, day care for children from the age of 0 to the age of 14 is provided for parents with childcare needs. Children from the age of 3 until they start school are cared for in daycare centers, but daycare can also cover the necessary times.

Day care is provided by qualified childminders in their own homes. It can also take place in small groups of up to 5 children in the parents' home or in other rooms. There are also the first large day care centers in which several childminders work together in groups of up to 9 children.

A total of 140 children are currently being cared for in day care centers, 57 of whom are under the age of three. In general, 30 percent of children under the age of three are planned to be cared for in childminders. The central point of contact for interested parents is the KiTaBe Family Service. Together with the parents, the childcare needs of the child are determined in order to find a suitable childminder. In addition to arranging and advising on child day care, the support of disadvantaged families in the areas of health and language are two further areas of focus.

The city of Salzgitter is funding the expansion of needs-based childcare in Salzgitter with a total of 420,000 euros in the 2008 / 2009 project year through 8 additional sub-projects run by independent providers and the family advice centers.