Since December 2020, parents in Germany have been asked to take care of their children at home, wherever possible. However, according to new statistics published this week, around one third of children are still attending emergency daycare.
The statistics, which were published by Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), show that in some areas in Germany, such as Hamburg, the proportion of children under the age of six who are still attending daycare is up to 50 percent.
The federal government has made several appeals for parents to keep their children at home until at least mid-February. However, many parents are unable to take care of their children at home because of other commitments like work. Many childcare facilities have therefore remained open to provide emergency care - but the uptake is currently much higher than during the first lockdown in the spring.
Since infection rates rose and the country went into lockdown in December, the German government has repeatedly stressed the importance of education and childcare, and making sure that children do not fall too behind in their schooling.
It is therefore very likely that schools and daycare centres will be one of the first places allowed to reopen after the lockdown ends - both for the sake of the children’s education and also to allow parents to get back to work.