Erfurt (dpa/th) - The Thuringian Left Group is sticking to its demand for a third non-contributory year for kindergarten children. Even in view of the difficult budgetary situation for 2023, the group said on Saturday that they did not want to move away from it. "We on the left are determined to continue on the path of exemption from contributions. For us, kindergarten is part of education and it should no longer cost families money as soon as possible," said Daniel Reinhardt, spokesman for early childhood education in the state parliamentary group.
The state of Thuringia is already paying the fees for two kindergarten years. "Two steps in the liberation of the parents have already been taken, now the third must follow," said Reinhardt. The new day-care center law is expected to bring another non-contributory day-care year from summer 2024. In the election campaign before the 2019 state elections, Die Linke had already campaigned for further steps towards free daycare.
One is also open to discussions about the kindergarten food. "We would like to have more facilities that cook healthy food themselves and also support it financially," says Reinhardt. However, a flat-rate assumption of the food costs for all daycare children costs the state around 110 million euros per year and "in our opinion is too expensive and also makes no contribution to solving the problems in this area".
A corresponding proposal had been made by the Thuringian SPD. This wants to offer lunch in kindergartens and schools free of charge in the future. The Greens also consider the financing of a free lunch in the Thuringian kindergartens and schools to be hardly affordable.
