Introduce free daycare nationwide

An amendment from the SPD parliamentary group entitled “Introduce fee-free daycare nationwide” was rejected in a roll-call vote in the state parliament. In addition to its original proposal, the SPD parliamentary group demands that the state government implement complete exemption from fees for attending daycare centers and childcare from the first year of life until school entry. In addition, the last year of kindergarten should be mandatory and free of charge. In this way, families should be relieved of the financial burden, educational equality should be promoted and all children, regardless of their social background, have access to early childhood education. The mandatory final year of kindergarten is intended to improve school preparation and equal opportunities. The amendment was rejected with 100 votes against and 32 votes in favor by the SPD and AfD factions. There were four abstentions, three of them from the FDP/DVP parliamentary group.