SPD on families

The SPD wants to eliminate parental fees for nurseries and daycare centers in Hesse completely. In its view, education should be free from nursery through to a master craftsman's certificate or master's degree. The program calls this the largest net relief for families in the state.

The SPD wants parents to pay nothing for daycare. This also applies to nurseries for very young children. Education should be free from the start. Families should have more money left over.

The program regards nurseries and daycare centers as the first educational institution, where the basis for later opportunities is laid. Language support in early childhood is to be adequately funded. Children's rights in these facilities are to be strengthened and digital learning made possible. The SPD wants to develop and pay for age-appropriate media education in child and youth services. Preventive services such as family centers, family midwives and early support are to be expanded.

The SPD wants to tackle staff shortages in daycare and social professions with more training places, paid training and easier career changes. Tuition fees for training schools are to be dropped. Better working conditions are meant to make these jobs more attractive and raise quality.

Daycare centers lack many trained workers. The SPD wants to train more people. Trainees should get paid and pay no school fees. Work in daycare should also get better.

Daycare centers are to open up to teams from different professions who count toward the staffing ratio. Trainees are to be paid in all forms of training, including in residential youth care. Foreign qualifications are to be recognized faster. The program also names a higher pay grade, release time for management tasks and more time for preparation, work with parents and further training. The ratio of staff to children is to improve.

The SPD wants the state of Hesse to pay two-thirds of daycare operating costs. This is meant to relieve municipalities and providers and make free daycare, more places and more staff possible. The expansion of daycare and nursery places is also to continue.

Daycare costs a lot of money. The state should pay two-thirds of the running costs. Towns and providers then carry less of the burden. There should also be more daycare places.

The larger state share is meant to allow more flexible opening hours and extra care at early and late hours. The SPD wants to push the expansion of places together with municipalities and increase the state investment program for it. An institute for early childhood education is to analyze challenges and develop proposals for improvement. Parents are to get support in founding and expanding parent councils at the town, city and county level.

The SPD wants to expand protection of children and young people from violence across Hesse and adequately fund counseling and prevention. A state coordination office is to link the work at all levels. The program cites a rising number of children who experience violence.

The SPD wants to protect children better from violence. Counseling services should get enough money. A state office should link all the help. There should also be more therapy places for children.

The state action plan against sexualized violence toward children and young people is to be implemented. Police and courts are to step up the fight against child sexual abuse material, and those affected are to find help everywhere. Therapy places for children and young people are to be expanded, especially for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, for traumatized refugee children and for abuse survivors; the SPD wants to negotiate this with the relevant professional chambers. Clubs are to receive money and expert help to develop their own protection plans.