Jana Frey manages a daycare center in Munich. She believes that despite the influx of many new skilled professionals into the childcare system, one crucial aspect urgently needs to change.
Jana Frey embarked on a career restart in her early 40s. A trained child pedagogue, she now directs a daycare center in Johanneskirchen. The 47-year-old genuinely loves her profession but yearns for improved working conditions and greater appreciation.
If you could choose again today, would you still pursue this profession?
Absolutely. I previously worked in development aid and then very deliberately chose this profession. Working with children is wonderful; they give so much back. However, if I were 20 today and knew I’d be doing this job for nearly 50 more years, I’m not sure I’d make the same choice again. The work is extremely demanding under the current conditions.
According to a study, the number of skilled professionals is increasing to the extent that demand will at best be met by 2027. Do you feel this shift?
Bavaria has made significant efforts to attract more qualified staff to this profession. We’ve also observed a decline in birth rates. Both factors are leading to a noticeable change. For several months now, I’ve been receiving more applications for open positions. However, that alone won’t improve our daily routine. What’s critical is the number of children supervised per professional. The staff-to-child ratios urgently need improvement.
Many teams first need time to gel and become accustomed to working together. That takes time.
What does your typical day look like?
Typically, two of us care for 25 kindergarten children or 12 nursery children. If one child needs help in the restroom, one person is left alone with 24 children. Better staff-to-child ratios would be a crucial relief. Previously, this wasn’t possible because so many families were waiting for a childcare spot. Now, however, the additional professionals and the declining birth rate could bring us relief – and once again, improved quality in childcare.
Many skilled professionals have been recruited from abroad. How well does that work in practice?
Many wonderful individuals have joined us. However, they possess different training and are accustomed to different procedures. Additionally, we have many newly qualified childcare assistants or educators, some of whom have completed newer training methods. Many teams first need time to become cohesive. This is exciting, but it requires time.
How have the needs of parents and children evolved?
Our society has become more diverse. Families have varying needs that we must address. Some parents find it difficult to entrust their children’s care to others. Others expect the daycare center to take on a significant portion of their children’s upbringing. We also notice an increase in young children who spend a lot of time on tablets, which leads to shorter attention spans.
What is your appeal to politicians?
The daycare system desperately needs a breather. We would appreciate better staff-to-child ratios until the teams with the many new professionals are fully integrated. We understand that investments are needed in many areas. However, the Bavarian daycare system has grown so rapidly that we now urgently require a stabilization phase. This would allow us to catch up qualitatively. The quantitative expansion was essential, but it came at the cost of quality. It causes a lot of frustration for educators to fall short of their own standards every single day.
The profession of an early childhood educator receives too little recognition in our society.
What can’t you achieve with the current staff-to-child ratios?
The Bavarian Education and Care Plan states that we should address each child individually. This requires us to observe and specifically foster each child, for example, in language development or social interaction. How is that supposed to happen when a diverse daycare team is reinventing itself within a changing daycare system, and two educators are responsible for 25 children?
Does your profession receive adequate recognition?
Primarily, we interact with children and parents – most of whom recognize our efforts and are very grateful. However, overall, the profession of early childhood educators – much like many other professions – enjoys too little standing in society. It is an art to meet the needs of so many children every day, and it demands high emotional and social competence.