Lack of childcare places in Kranebitten – tirol.ORF.at
Although the kindergarten in Kranebitten was only built in 2015, it was already too small after three years. The building is designed for two groups. “Now the children can no longer sleep because half the group is accommodated in the bedroom,” says Daniel Tschofen, chairman of the Kranebitten Habitat Initiative (ILK). This is anything but ideal, since children who actually still need their sleep could not get any rest. In addition to the kindergarten, the crèche is also completely overcrowded. Parents must give their children to childcare facilities in other parts of the city.
Study for an efficient expansion
The kindergarten in Kranebitten was only built in 2015 by the architects Reitter in Innsbruck and has one peculiarity: it could easily be enlarged by another group. “It fails because of the money,” says Tschofen. An extension by at least one group would be absolutely necessary. According to Elisabeth Mayr, city councilor for child education and childcare facilities, the problem is not with the financing: “First of all, we have to see how we can realize this,” she said.
It needs a lot of area for expansion. An increase by one group would also not make sense, since at least two additional groups would be required. In an in-depth study, the architecture firm is currently examining whether the existing building could be enlarged so that two more kindergarten and one more crèche groups could be accommodated in it. The results should be available this year.
Kindergarten should not be built like this again
According to Tschofen, the Kranebitten kindergarten should not be built again in the way it currently is. “A kindergarten needs at least one bedroom,” says the chairman of the ILK. Further operation would only take place because of an exceptional regulation, which would be extended again and again. “You have to create conditions that correspond to the legal locations of new kindergartens,” is the demand from the ILK. According to Mayr, the planning size of the kindergarten was not ideal from the start.
Overload due to influx
The ILK sees the reason for the necessary increase in the brisk influx to Kranebitten. They had hoped for a kindergarten with at least three groups from the start. Adding a storey to the existing building would be the best option given its location next to a Mini-M, a doctor’s office and the large Kranebitten playground. City Councilor Mayr also sees the best option in enlarging the existing kindergarten: “Families who have both crèche and kindergarten children save themselves a trip” and a real children’s campus could be realised.
Crèche for Kranebitten residents only
The privately run crèche “Kranewittchen” is also bursting at the seams. “We currently only have room for twelve children. There are nine on the waiting list,” says Diana Scheiring, the manager. Therefore, Kranewittchen can only offer a place to families directly from Kranebitten, and not always. “Some mothers come to us already pregnant and try to register for a place,” says the director. Choosing which species WILL ultimately be included is a very difficult matter. Above all, children who already have a sibling in the crèche would move up in the places.
Mayr confirms that there are particular problems with the crèche stocks. “Since 2012, the average birth rate has increased to 1,200 children per year, before that it was 1,000.” In addition to the larger number of children, there was also a reduction from 25 children per kindergarten group to 20 in order to increase the quality of care. Around a fifth of the places broke consumption away.
Social infrastructure must be considered
According to Elisabeth Mayr, the most important thing is that the social infrastructure is taken into account in new construction projects. “Unfortunately, this was not the case for all projects in the past.” Therefore, the city councilor supports the legal entitlement to childcare from the first year of life. “Then I don’t always have to discuss needs, because they clearly exist.” It is not possible to say exactly how many kindergarten and crèche places in Innsbruck would be too few. The problem is much more massive in the crèches. Since the beginning of her term of office in 2018, around 500 kindergarten places have been expanded.
Childcare at the expense of women
“The question of several childcare places is a highly women’s issue,” says Mayr. Many women would and would have to go to work, partly because of inflation. So if the care does not work, some women could no longer work and potentially end up in poverty in old age. Childcare often falls back on women. At the moment, around a third of the kindergarten children would take advantage of an all-day care offer. Almost all schools in Innsbruck would also have such an offer.