Starting this summer, Bremen will once again offer all children a place in daycare. Thanks to a new collaboration between the departments of Children and Education and Labor, Social Affairs, Youth and Integration, children from refugee families will have easier access to daycare places. In addition to the approximately 190 children who have already been assigned a place, 50 more children from refugee accommodations have been officially registered, and around 40 more are currently being actively placed. The goal is to get all children into daycare, especially those with language support needs.
“Our quality initiative for Bremen begins in daycare, because daycare acts as a springboard: Here, children acquire the foundations they need for their further education. This doesn't happen through isolated exercises at a table, but through play in everyday life. Our staff creates the right opportunities for this every day. The earlier children can have these experiences, the better their starting conditions will be in school,” emphasizes Senator for Children and Education, Mark Rackles.
Close cooperation between the social affairs department and the education authority
For language support and development in daycare centers, the Senator for Children and Education is providing a total of €7.7 million to providers in the city of Bremen in 2026. Dr. Claudia Schilling, Senator for Labor, Social Affairs, Youth and Integration, emphasizes: “Every child should have the same opportunities for education, participation, and healthy development, regardless of their background or life circumstances. The close cooperation between the social affairs department and the education authority demonstrates what we can achieve together: More children are starting daycare earlier and learning German. They can gain social experience, make friends, and discover the world. This is an important contribution to successful integration.”
Making it easier for families to access childcare
Early childhood education services in Bremen are still not used equally by all families. In 2025, the childcare rate in crèches was 32.8 percent, while in preschools it was 88.2 percent. Children from socially disadvantaged families, immigrant families, or families with language barriers are particularly unlikely to attend daycare. This also applies to many refugee children. As a result, educational disadvantages often arise even before children start school. In addition to further expanding daycare places regionally, Bremen is therefore focusing more on making it easier for families to access childcare. Under the motto "All Children in Daycare," the Senate has been pursuing the goal since summer 2025 of reaching more families with early childhood education services and removing existing barriers. The Senator for Children and Education presented a comprehensive package of measures to the "Early Childhood Education" Committee of the Deputation for Children and Education on June 4, 2026.
The core of the new collaboration between the departments of Children and Education and Labor, Social Affairs, Youth and Integration is the systematic registration of children from the refugee accommodation system. The aim is to enable refugee children to access a daycare place at an early stage and to actively support families in the registration process.
Kindergarten registration is to be simplified – also through the training of multipliers.
Furthermore, the Senator for Children and Education has simplified the entire daycare registration process. The informational materials have been completely revised and supplemented with QR codes that link directly to the multilingual daycare portal. In addition, eight short videos on the Senator for Children and Education's website explain the registration process step by step.
A telephone consultation service remains available for parents. Another new feature is the training of multipliers who support families locally in using the daycare portal. Following an information event at the Morgenland neighborhood education center in Gröpelingen in 2025, two online training sessions were held in April 2026 with a total of more than 40 participants. Due to high demand, there is currently a waiting list. Further training sessions are planned after the summer holidays of 2026.
The daycare registration kiosk offers support to parents in Gröpelingen
In Gröpelingen, a daycare registration kiosk was opened in the spring. There, parents receive support in registering their children for a daycare place. This service, spearheaded by the Senate Chancellery, is aimed particularly at families who are new to Germany, speak little German, or need help using the daycare portal. The registration kiosk is planned to be offered in other districts in the future.
Interlinking the U7 preventive medical check-up and the search for a daycare place
With the support of the Senator for Health, Women and Consumer Protection and the Bremen Public Health Department, pediatricians will in the future provide families with more targeted information about childcare options and draw their attention to available places. The plan is for parents to be informed about childcare options during the U7 well-child visit. Interested parents will receive assistance at the pediatrician's office in entering their contact information for the childcare registration kiosk. This will simplify communication between childcare registration coordinators and parents.
Step-by-step instructions and explanatory videos on how to use the daycare portal:
www.bildung.bremen.de/sie-suchen-einen-betreuungsplatz-fur-ihr-kind
Source: Press Office of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Senator for Children and Education, Senator for Labor, Social Affairs, Youth and Integration, Senator for Health, Women and Consumer Protection: More children in daycare centers: Bremen simplifies access for refugee children – Press Office of the Senate, June 5, 2026
