Operational solutions for regular care requirements

With its own childcare facility, a company can offer its employees needs-based childcare that meets the specific requirements of the company, for example in terms of opening hours. Public provision is still inadequate, especially for children under the age of three, but company places can also close regional childcare gaps for any other age group.

However, having your own company daycare center is not the only solution for supporting employees in achieving a good work-life balance. The size of the company and the extent of childcare needs among employees are key parameters when planning your own company childcare solution.

Having your own "proper" facility is only worthwhile if more than 10 children are to be cared for on a permanent basis. If there are fewer children, you can consider a company-supported association of childminders - also known as child day care or large-scale day care. At the same time, you should bear in mind that childcare solutions for your employees' children do not necessarily have to be managed alone. Cooperation with other companies or the local authority can be a step towards providing childcare for your employees.

In the following, the childcare solutions mentioned are briefly presented and the steps towards having your own childcare places or even your own company daycare center are outlined. The explanations are intended to give an idea of everything that needs to be considered. They are no substitute for detailed advice and support with all the organizational, educational, legal and financial background.

What all needs to be considered

The type of facility that is suitable for your company depends on numerous framework conditions. The following questions will help you make a decision:

• What exactly do your employees and your company need? For which age groups, for how many children, for how long and how permanently is childcare required? What special requirements does the company have in terms of working hours and scope (e.g. shift work, night and weekend work)?

• Where are the gaps in support in your region? How can you respond to this, especially with regard to the needs of your employees and your company?

• Are there other companies or facilities with which you can and want to cooperate? Would you like to work with an experienced provider?

• How much can and does your company want to spend on childcare? What public funding options are available (nationwide, in the federal state and in the municipality)?

This chapter will help you to answer these questions and find a suitable solution for your company.

Your own "company daycare center"

Setting up and running your own facility is the most costly and comprehensive way of supporting employees with childcare. It offers the opportunity and scope to flexibly tailor the offer to the needs of the company and its own workforce. In this way, good childcare places can be offered for employees' children close to the company. It underlines the family-friendliness of the company, which in turn can be helpful in attracting qualified specialists.

At the same time, having your own facility requires a high willingness to plan and invest. It makes sense to have your own company daycare center if there is a correspondingly large and long-term need for childcare in your own company and possibly at cooperating companies and in the community.

There are numerous aspects to consider and plan when setting up your own childcare facility. On the one hand, a concept must be drawn up regarding the overall design of the facility: What exactly should the childcare services look like? How many children of which age groups should be looked after? How should sponsorship, staffing, opening hours, premises and equipment be organized? What pedagogical concept should be used in the facility? The checklist of central aspects of planning in the info box offers support in drawing up such a concept. It is a good idea to involve various stakeholders - such as parents, the works council and possibly also the children - in the planning process.

The content concept is the basis for the individual planning steps. This includes the search for and preparation of suitable premises, the creation of a financing concept, the search for and application for funding opportunities, applications and official approval procedures as well as personnel planning. This also includes the consideration of who should take over the sponsorship: Does the company want to act as the provider itself or should it work with a public, private non-profit or private commercial provider? Could a parent initiative close to the company be considered? A daycare facility requires an operating license, which must be applied for in good time from the relevant youth welfare office. The individual steps from the plan to the opening of the daycare center can be found in the info box in the document "Step by step to your own company daycare center".

The costs for an in-house daycare center are very complex and vary regionally, by federal state, but also by staffing and flexibility. On the one hand, there are the running costs after the opening of the facility and, on the other hand, the investment costs up to the opening.

These costs do not necessarily have to be borne alone. Currently (as of February 2016), companies are supported in the creation of crèche places for under 3-year-olds through the company childcare funding program of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). A link to funding guidelines and the funding guide can be found in the info box. The federal states often also support company facilities, but this varies greatly from state to state. Funding guidelines also change regularly. The local youth welfare offices should be able to help you obtain information on the funding models in your federal state.

If you decide to set up and run your own childcare facility for your employees' children, we recommend that you seek professional support for individual steps or the entire process.

The small solution - company child day care

Many companies would like to offer their employees reliable in-house childcare, but this is often not worthwhile for small and medium-sized companies in particular due to insufficient demand. However, this does not mean that you have to do without in-house childcare. If your company has a need for childcare for fewer than ten children, you can consider a company-supported association of childminders - company daycare.

Child day care or large-scale care is a good alternative to kindergarten. Similar to a company nursery, the association of day carers is exclusively available to employees and is closely linked to the company. In terms of quality, it comes very close to a facility with qualified staff and targeted educational offers.

The main difference between this and an in-house facility is the structure of the childcare provision. In-house childcare is less complex and can be implemented more quickly, as no operating license is required. The investment costs are also much lower.

What exactly does company daycare or a company-supported association of daycare providers (large-scale care) mean?

Child day care is usually described as a very familiar form of care. A childminder (also known as a day carer) looks after up to five children in their own home, in suitable rooms in the company or in specially rented rooms, or up to a maximum of 10 children in the case of a group. Childminders must have completed a special qualification and require a care permit from the youth welfare office.

The childminders can be self-employed or employed by the company. As a company, you can influence the quality of care by selecting particularly suitable childminders and supporting regular training and further development. Company-supported childcare is a good opportunity for motivated childminders who want to develop further and value the bond with a company.

In-company childcare is very flexible in several respects: not all places always have to be permanently allocated. It is possible to keep back-up places free for childcare emergencies (this regulation applies in many places, but unfortunately not in all federal states and municipalities. Before this is planned, it must be clarified with the local authority whether it is possible to keep places free). Furthermore, the childcare times can be easily adapted to the changing needs of the company or the parents. Finally, a company daycare center can also be opened to families from other companies or the municipality if it is not fully occupied by the children of employees. This must also be arranged in direct consultation with the local authority.

Even if it is less complicated overall, it is also recommended that an experienced external partner is brought in to support the implementation of company daycare. The partner can help with individual or several aspects: Negotiations with the youth welfare office, qualification and further training of childminders, conception and organization as well as questions of funding and support.

Occupancy and cooperation with other companies

Companies that would like to provide their own employees with reliable support for regular childcare, but are unable or unwilling to find a childcare solution on their own, can also become active.

On the one hand, there is the option of reserved places. This means that your company reserves a number of places in an existing childcare facility for its own employees. A contract is concluded with a local daycare provider for this purpose. The company contributes to the financing of the reserved places. Even if the company has less creative freedom than with its own facility, the model has several other advantages in addition to the financial savings. It can build on the experience and knowledge of the facility's provider. The time-consuming creation of in-house concepts and complex planning are no longer necessary. At the same time, the risk of capacity utilization is not borne by the company, but by the operator of the childcare center.

On the other hand, cooperation with other companies in the region can be considered. If several companies join forces, it is possible for each company to set up and operate its own childcare facility for its own employees at a lower investment cost. Quotas of places are agreed in accordance with the needs identified in the individual companies. These are not fixed, but can be adjusted at any time. This has the advantage that fluctuating requirements in the company itself can be absorbed by the participating partner companies and their childcare needs. Cooperation with others also offers small companies the opportunity to have the creative freedom of their own company kindergarten. At the same time, however, arrangements and agreements between the participating companies should not be neglected.