31.2 million euros

Investment boost for childcare

The quality of childcare is to be improved.

(Bild: 1001color - stock.adobe.com)

Additional money will flow from the federal government to the federal states for elementary education and childcare until 2028: the 31.2 million euros per year for Salzburg will be invested primarily in expanding infrastructure and training. The state, city of Salzburg and association of municipalities presented the details. 

According to the presentation, the money could provide maximum support in tackling the major challenges of the future. The municipalities are groaning under rapidly rising expenditure. The shortage of skilled workers in kindergartens and childcare facilities poses major challenges for all those responsible.

Childcare in Salzburg

• There were around 625 institutional childcare facilities in the state of Salzburg in 2023/25
• Around 23,000 children were cared for.
• The childcare rate for one to under three-year-olds is 45%, and around 95% for three to six-year-olds.

Around half of the 31.2 million euros per year from the federal government has already been distributed to the municipalities. The state is investing part of the second 15 million euros or so in the training offensive that has already begun and the expansion of staff and quality. The municipalities will receive a further ten to twelve million euros directly. Payments are made according to the size of the municipality.

The following priorities are envisaged by the state and municipalities in the package of measures:

• New groups throughout the province will receive funding. The focus is on toddler groups with under-threes. 
• The Center for Kindergarten Education is to be further strengthened and increasingly developed into a competence center. Additional courses are planned.
• The mobile advisory team is to be strengthened.
• An amendment to the law is in preparation. Provincial deputy Marlene Svazek (FPÖ) wants fewer bureaucratic hurdles in the framework conditions.