A new childcare reform could introduce developmental assessments for young children and extra support in daycare centres. Here’s what foreign families in Germany need to know.
If you’re raising a child in Germany and speaking another language at home, you may have wondered whether your child will be at a disadvantage when they start school.
A new childcare reform being debated in the Bundestag aims to identify support needs earlier and expand help for children before they enter primary school, including those growing up in multilingual households.
The proposal comes from Federal Education and Family Affairs Minister Karin Prien (CDU) and aims to introduce nationwide developmental assessments for four-year-olds, alongside additional support for children who need it.
According to reports, the proposed Equal Opportunity and Quality Development Act (Startchancen- und Qualitätsentwicklungsgesetz) would be backed by around €9.25 billion in federal funding through to 2034.
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Assuming the legislation passes through the Bundestag, it would also need to secure the backing of the Bundesrat before it could take effect. If approved, implementation would begin gradually from 2027.
For international families, and particularly those raising children in multilingual households, the debate raises important questions: What are the current rules and entitlements, and how would they change under the new system?
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What is the government proposing?
At the heart of the proposal is the idea that all children should have their developmental progress assessed by the age of four.
As planned, the assessments would look at language development as well as motor, social-emotional and early mathematical skills. In theory, that would help educators identify potential support needs well before children enter primary school.
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Children who need extra help would then receive targeted support. The proposal would also provide additional staffing for daycare centres serving larger numbers of children who face educational or social challenges.
What rights do families already have?
Every child living in Germany is entitled to early childhood care from the age of one. The entitlement is based on residence rather than citizenship and applies regardless of nationality.
Local youth welfare authorities (Jugendämter) are responsible for helping parents find and access childcare places. In practice, however, securing a place can still be difficult in some parts of the country because of ongoing shortages.
What if your child doesn’t speak German?
Not speaking German at home is common in multilingual families and isn’t in itself a developmental problem.
Children don’t need to speak German before starting daycare. In fact, helping children develop their language skills is considered part of the educational role of childcare providers.
In the past, Germany funded specialist language support staff through programmes such as Sprach-Kitas (which ran from 2016 until mid-2023). The new proposal would expand support for children identified as needing additional help before they start school.
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According to official figures, the Sprach-Kitas programme reached more than 500,000 children and their families before responsibility for the initiative was handed over to Germany’s states in 2023.
Experts also stress that parents shouldn’t feel pressured to stop speaking their home language. Research suggests that children benefit from developing strong skills in their first language while learning German alongside it.
How could the new law affect international families?
If the proposal becomes law, it could have several practical effects.
The assessments would apply to all children and would in theory introduce nationwide standards for identifying support needs. Support would then be linked to the results of the assessments and the child’s identified developmental needs.
Children who need additional support with German language development could potentially be identified earlier. Rather than waiting until primary school, support could begin while children are still in daycare.
Finally, additional staffing could provide more opportunities for tailored support. According to the proposal, children identified as needing support would receive an additional 30 minutes of targeted support each week.
Why the debate matters
The discussion reflects a broader concern within German education policy. Recent education reports have shown that learning gaps often emerge before children even start school.
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Whether the plans become reality will depend on political negotiations and on the willingness of Germany’s states to implement them. But supporters of the proposal argue that earlier intervention could help close those gaps and make the transition into primary education smoother.
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