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Germany Confirms 2026 Right to Full-Day Primary Care as Report Warns of Place Gaps

A cabinet report expresses confidence, projecting significant additional capacity by 2029/30.

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Kommendes Jahr startet der Rechtsanspruch auf Ganztagsbetreuung in der Grundschule - und die Bundesregierung ist überzeugt, dass es bis zur vollständigen Umsetzung auch die nötigen Plätze dafür gibt.

Overview

  • The legal entitlement begins on 1 August 2026 for first graders and will extend to all pupils in grades 1–4 by the 2029/2030 school year.
  • For the initial cohort, about 30,000 places are missing under current demand assumptions, rising to as many as 65,000 if take-up increases.
  • Beyond the first year, projections show additional needs of 166,000–284,000 places for grades 2–4, with an average extra demand around 264,000 and a possible shortfall up to 339,000 by 2029/30.
  • Coverage is already nearly complete in East Germany and Hamburg, while western states must maintain rapid expansion, reflecting uptake of 84% in the East versus 51% in the West.
  • About 1.9 million children (57%) used full-day offers in 2023/24 and 65% of parents want one; in parallel, Brandenburg set financing and school–hort cooperation rules to implement the new right.