Daycare in Germany: How to Look for a Place in Kita, Krippe, and Hort

Finding a daycare place in Germany often has to start early and through several channels at once: the city’s online system, the Jugendamt, direct applications to facilities, and alternatives such as a Tagesmutter or Tagesvater. Formally, children have a right to daycare, but in practice deadlines, cost, application procedures, and the availability of places depend heavily on the federal state and the specific city.

How the childcare system is structured

In German documents, the umbrella term Kindertagesbetreuung is often used for daycare and child supervision. It can be organized in a facility or in the form of day care by a licensed specialist.

Main formats:

• Krippe is care for very young children, usually up to the age of three. This is the most sensitive segment: small groups and more staff are needed, so places may be scarce.
• Kindergarten is for preschool-age children, most often from around age three until school starts.
• Kita or Kindertagesstätte is the general name for a childcare facility; one Kita can include both Krippe and Kindergarten groups.
• Hort is after-school care for schoolchildren if that model exists in the given state or city.
• Kindertagespflege is daycare with a Tagesmutter or Tagesvater. This is not an “informal nanny,” but a separate regulated form of care.

Kita in Germany is not only supervision. Facilities usually emphasize socialization, independence, speech, play, movement, and preparation for the school environment. The specific educational program depends on the state, the city, the provider, and the daycare’s concept.

The right to a place: what matters to understand

At the federal level, the right to daycare is anchored in SGB VIII. In broad terms, children after their first birthday are entitled to support in daycare, and children from age three until school are entitled to support in a childcare facility. For children under one year old, the right depends on the family’s circumstances, such as parents working, studying, or looking for work.

But the right to Betreuung does not mean that a family automatically gets a place in the nearest daycare, at convenient hours, and without waiting. Municipalities allocate places through their own procedures, and the real situation depends on the district, the child’s age, and the groups that are available.

If no place can be found, it is worth contacting the Jugendamt or the local authority responsible for Kindertagesbetreuung. In difficult cases, parents usually need to check the procedure for written applications, response deadlines, and ways to document the need for care.

Where to look for a place

It is best to use several channels at the same time.

1. The city online system

In many cities there are electronic portals for searching and registering interest in a place. The names vary: Kita Navigator, Kita-Portal, Kitaplaner, or a local system with a similar meaning. It is more reliable to find the portal through the official city website rather than through random pages in search results.

In the profile, you usually enter the child’s data, the desired start date, the district, the required hours, and the facilities you selected. After registration, it is worth checking the application status regularly and updating the data if the family has moved or the start date has changed.

2. Jugendamt and city consultation services

The Jugendamt or a local youth and family service can explain how applications work, point you to official portals, and tell you about Kindertagespflege and financial support options. In some cities, the municipal system is the main place where daycare places are coordinated.

It is not a good idea to rely on only one contact. If the situation is urgent, keep a written record of your requests and clarify which documents are needed to prove the need for care.

3. Direct contact with Kitas

Even if there is an online portal, it is useful to review the websites of specific daycares, write to them directly, ask about open days, and learn their admission rules. Personal contact does not guarantee a place, but it helps you understand the real situation: whether there is a waiting list, which groups are opening, whether they take children of your child’s age, and what matters to the director.

The practical minimum is to apply not to one “ideal” daycare, but to several facilities within a realistic distance from home or work.

4. Tagesmutter or Tagesvater

For small children, Kindertagespflege can sometimes be a more realistic option than a Krippe place. A Tagesmutter or Tagesvater usually looks after a small group of children in a home setting or in a specially equipped environment. This format can be more flexible in terms of schedule, but its conditions, cost, and subsidies should be checked with your Jugendamt.

When to start looking

The younger the child and the larger the city, the earlier you should begin. For Krippe, many families start reviewing options a year in advance or even earlier. For Kindergarten from age three, timelines can be more forgiving, but in popular districts waiting is still possible.

If you are moving to Germany, start before arrival: find the city’s official website, check the registration portal, write to the Jugendamt, and compile a list of facilities near your future home. Even if you cannot complete the application without local registration, you will understand the rules and timing in advance.

Which documents may be needed

The list depends on the city and the facility, but common requests include:

• information about the child and parents;
• a registered address or planned address of residence;
• the desired start date for care;
• the required number of hours;
• proof of employment, study, an integration course, or another need for care;
• medical documents or vaccination information if required by the facility’s procedure;
• family income information if the parental fee is income-based.

Before applying, check the exact local requirements. In Germany, Kita rules often look similar, but the details are decided at the state, city, or provider level.

Types of facilities and educational approaches

In Germany there are municipal, church-run, private, and parent-run facilities. Church-run daycares may accept children from different families, but their concept can include religious holidays and traditions. Private daycares are usually more expensive and do not always mean a faster place. Parent initiatives offer more family involvement, but require time and a willingness to help with organization.

Different educational models are common:

• traditional daycares focused on play and socialization;
• Montessori with a prepared environment and independent choice of activities;
• Waldorf with daily rhythm, creativity, and natural materials;
• Waldkindergarten, where children spend a lot of time outdoors;
• bilingual groups;
• inclusive facilities for children with different needs growing up together.

It is better to choose an approach after a visit or a conversation with the facility. An attractive method name does not replace concrete questions about teachers, hours, settling-in, meals, communication with parents, and how illness is handled.

Costs and support

Kita costs in Germany are not uniform. They depend on the federal state, the city, the child’s age, the number of care hours, family income, meals, and the type of provider. In some places the parental fee is reduced or abolished for certain age groups; in others, families pay a noticeable amount each month.

Financial topics are best checked in official sources:

• parental fees and reductions on the city website or through the Jugendamt;
• subsidies for Kita or Kindertagespflege through the local Jugendamt;
• Kindergeld through the Familienkasse;
• Elterngeld through the responsible state authority.

In 2026, Kindergeld is 259 euros per month per child. Other payments and reimbursements depend on the family’s situation, income, residence status, and place of residence, so they cannot be calculated from one universal scheme in a single article.

What to do if there is no place

If applications do not lead to a result, act systematically.

1. Update the list of facilities and widen the search radius.
2. Check Kindertagespflege through the Jugendamt.
3. Ask for written confirmation of the application status or rejection if the city procedure provides for it.
4. Clarify which documents prove an urgent need: work, study, a course, single parenting, or social circumstances.
5. Stay in touch with several facilities: places sometimes open up unexpectedly.
6. Check local parent groups, but do not replace official channels with them.

Checklist for families after moving

• Find the official Kindertagesbetreuung section on the city website.
• Register in the local online system if there is one.
• Write or call the Jugendamt.
• Make a list of nearby Kita, Krippe, Kindergarten, and Tagespflege options near home or work.
• Submit several applications, not just one.
• Check the cost, meals, hours, and settling-in model.
• Find out which documents are needed for benefits or subsidies.
• Save correspondence and application confirmations.

Conclusion

Looking for daycare in Germany is not a single application, but a separate project: the official portal, the Jugendamt, direct contacts, alternatives, and constant updates of information. The earlier a family starts and the wider it looks at options, the higher the chance of finding a workable solution.

The main thing is not to rely on universal promises. Questions of availability, cost, and timing are decided locally, so the final information should be checked on your city’s website, with the Jugendamt, and with the specific facility.