4,225 places in the Pact for All-Day Schools – since this school year, the legal entitlement initially applies to first-graders and pre-school classes
Since the start of the 2026/27 school year, the legal entitlement to all-day care for primary school children , initially to children in the first grade and, in Darmstadt, also to children attending a pre-primary class. The city has further expanded its childcare capacity to meet this demand. According to current information, up to 4,225 places available through the "Pact for All-Day Care.
This means there are 283 more places than in the previous school year and 1,508 more than in the 2021/22 school year. According to the city's calculations, this represents an increase of 55.5 percent within five years. In addition, there are 1,109 after-school care places.
The nationwide legal entitlement to childcare has been in effect since August 1, 2026, initially for the first grade and is subsequently extended by one grade level annually. From the 2029/30 school year, it will encompass grades one through four. The provision generally includes eight hours of care on five weekdays, with school hours being taken into account.
Additional rooms and organizational solutions
According to the city, up to 4,225 children can currently be cared for at 21 Darmstadt primary schools through the "Pact for All-Day Care." School Superintendent Holger Klötzner attributes the expansion, among other things, to the cooperation between the city's school board and the providers of the programs.
Where additional capacity is needed, the city is reportedly implementing various solutions. These include reorganizing lunchtimes, repurposing existing spaces, and constructing new buildings. For example, rental modules have been installed at the Wilhelm Busch School in Arheilgen.
The Pact for All-Day Care in Darmstadt offers childcare five days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Care until 2:30 p.m. is free for parents; care until 5:00 p.m. will cost €185 per month in the 2026/27 school year.
Daycare centers remain part of the childcare services
In addition to the pact for all-day schooling, after-school care centers continue to play a role. Mayor and Head of Social Services Barbara Akdeniz points to the additional capacity and the choice for families between different forms of childcare.
Capacities will need to be further developed in the coming years. This is because the legal entitlement increases by one grade level each school year until it covers all primary school grades in 2029/30.
The city provides information on the legal entitlement, the pact for all-day care and the care options on its information page for all-day care .
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/stip)
