If you are an international family in Berlin, you may be interested in having your child attend a bilingual Kita.
There’s quite a few bilingual Kitas in Berlin in various language combinations – English-German, French-German, Spanish-German, Russian-German… there’s even a Czech-German Kita!
Some of the bilingual Kitas require the kids to already “speak” / get input in one or both of these languages at home and/or for one or both parents to speak the language to their kids. Check on their website what is required.
In the Kita Navigator, you can do an advanced search for languages. However, it’s important to note that this information means that this language is spoken by some of the staff – it does not mean that the educators speak to the kids in these languages!
So from this filtered list, you would still need to check the Kita’s website and find out if they actually teach in multiple languages.
Alternatively, I have found this handy list of bilingual Kitas in Berlin.
There is a lot of demand for bilingual Kitas in Berlin but we have also heard that it can be easier to get a spot since families may be more likely to move away than in German language Kitas (this would mostly apply to slightly older kids).
Some expat families in Berlin consciously decide not to send their child to a bilingual Kita and instead opt for a German Kita if this is a language that is not spoken at home. It all depends on your preferences. If you decide to go this route, check out our article “How to Make Sure Your Child Adapts Well at a German Kita”.
Should you only apply to bilingual Kitas? Probably not unless there’s a lot near you. Otherwise, you should cast a wider net and also include German Kitas for a better chance of getting a spot. (See our article here on how many Kitas to apply to in Berlin.)
Last but not least, you may like to check out our list of private Kitas in Berlin, most of which are English-German.
All the best!
