This was another draft I found of some thoughts I had with childcare in Germany that I never published. Preschool for my boys was one of the very best parts of living in Germany for me. To have such wonderful preschool support, and to watch my children flourish in learning German was amazing.
2013
"There has been a lot posted this week about Obama wanting to offer subsidized childcare in the US. I am all for a parent staying at home, if possible, to raise children, and am grateful that I can. I just want to offer a perspective of how great it has been living in Germany for a few years with subsidized childcare. It has been a big part of our experience here, so I want to "journal" about it a bit, so that I don't forget.
Preschool in Germany is called Kindergarten, regardless of what age your child is. Anything before first grade is Kindergarten. It's basically just like public school, only there is a small fee, which depends on your income. I have been in Germany for nearly three years now, and my kids have been in the preschools and now grade school. The teachers in the Kindergartens and schools have been exceptional. Really well trained, and attentive. The programming, excellent, in my opinion.
Children age 3+ from any family are guaranteed a placement in a preschool if they would like one. If you have no income, it is free. If you have income, depending on your income, you do pay a stipend, but it is very low. You can pick any public preschool, so there is a wide variety, and the teachers are really well educated. Although I am a stay at home mom, it has been great for us, because I never would have enrolled my children in preschool otherwise, due to the price. But since it was only 60 euros a month for my kids, I could afford it. The best part about it is that it enabled them to learn German, which they needed to prepare for school. (Timmy is now in first grade).
The first Kindergarten we attended for 2 years had mostly low-income and foreign families, as it was in a neighborhood surrounded by lower priced housing. This year, as Timmy started first grade, we have Aaron attending a different Kindergarten closer to our home and Timmy is in grade school. These schools are in a more affluent area.
I can honestly say that the programming at the 2 Kindergartens was almost the same. The parental support is very clearly greater at the Kindergarten in the more affluent neighborhood. However, the care that the children were getting was excellent at both schools. I was impressed that regardless of income, the children all get the same chance for a good start to school. It was not just daycare. It was preschool. They were learning, and creating, and getting outside playtime, therapy (if needed) and hiking and going on outings....it was good programming. Most of us were speaking English, French, Russian or other languages at home, and the kids were still getting the German base they needed for school through this Kindergarten time.
In America, there are a lot of people who need their children to attend preschool to learn English. It's a really nice system when it is simply part of the benefits of every citizen to be able to send their kids to preschool, if they feel it will be a benefit to their children and family. It certainly does not mean that you HAVE to send your kids to preschool, or that there is any pressure to do so. However, it takes out the factor that you have to have a lot of money to do so.
In our church and city communities, I can see what a huge blessing it is. In Michigan, where we had our first two children, we relied a lot on each other to babysit in the community. Luckily, we had a great support system of friends there. We were all low-income students, far from family. I ended up babysitting a lot for families with hardships, which I was happy to do, but it was sometimes really difficult. Offering that service, when I myself had little children at home, frankly, was really exhausting sometimes. However, when a family is in distress, there is little other option for low-income students than getting help from family or friends.
When I was sick or hurt myself, I felt badly to have to inconvenience friends to take my children, knowing that they were also very tired watching their own children. I also spent what was for me, a lot of money for babysitters too when my health was poor, or just so that I could "get a break" once in a while to recover from the strain of being a mother with toddlers.
Here in Germany, I have never had to "emergency" babysit in the daytime for friends, or had to pay a lot for babysitters when I am sick or at the end stages of my pregnancy. Because of the childcare programs, a huge burden can be lifted for parents. I felt like my mental health was never better and it allowed me to be a very present and happy mother.
Also, in Germany, both men and women can opt to not work for a year after a baby comes and still receive 67% of their income, so I think that opens up options quite a bit as well. This offer is both for the father AND the mother. So if a man wants some fatherhood time to be home for a few months and enjoy his baby, his work must allow it, and the state pays this 67% portion of salary.
Sometimes with preemies, or twins, or a mother in the hospital, or other extenuating circumstances, it would be an absolute emergency. However, due to this option to support new parents, this can make it possible for a father to stay home for up to a year to raise his children, and a mother to continue her work, or other flexible options.
Even if a mother is a stay-at-home mother and has no income, she also received "Parent Money." Instead of 67% of her income for a year, she receives 300 Euros a month for one year to help with costs associated with having a new baby.
Anyway, socialized care. Huge topic in the US. I'm not sure if this kind of system could work in the US, but I will say that here in Germany it is a great benefit to families. :) Taxes are high. There are a not a lot of "richy-rich" people here. But health care, preschool, welfare and other social programs are very supportive and nice. The poor are well-cared for.
If we can make improvements in the US to support our families and children and improving our productivity and economy, that would be a wonderful thing."
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