When looking for a daycare spot for your child, the first thing you’ll come across is most likely Kindertagesstätten (short: Kitas). But did you know that there’s also a second type of daycare for the little ones?
The second option has different names: Tagesmutter, Tageseltern or Kindertagespflege. Most commonly, it is referred to as Tagesmutter, which literally translates to “day mother” – a bit old fashioned but the idea is that it is a qualified person (often one or several women but also sometimes men or a couple) who watches your kids during the day.
So what are the differences between a Kita and a Tagesmutter?
The most important difference is that Kitas generally take kids up until 6 years old while Tagesmütter usually only takes kids up until 3 years old.
But there’s a few other differences:
Depending on their qualifications, they can take care of up to 5 kids. If they team up with another Tagesmutter/vater, they can jointly take care of 10 kids.
The environment is often more family like with fewer kids than at Kita – sometimes, the Tagesmutter users a room in their own apartment, or they rent a dedicated space.
Depending on where you live, the costs of sending your child to a Kita or Tagesmutter may be different. Likewise, the process of applying may differ from applying to a Kita.
A few things to keep in mind when evaluating which option to go for:
At a Kita, especially the bigger ones, staff can fill in for each other when someone gets sick, which is not possible for a Tagesmutter.
However, due to the smaller group sizes, your kid may get sick less often and bring less bugs home, which is definitely an advantage!
Oftentimes, Tagesmütter have more limited opening hours, so check if this works for your family.
Also check about vacation times and any other closing days.
As mentioned above, most Tagesmütter only take kids up until 3 years old, so you will need to find a Kita to transfer to then (which tends to be easier than finding a spot for a 1-year old)
Since the same person takes care of your child everyday, you might get better feedback on your child’s development than at a Kita
In the end, you may want to pursue both options to increase your chances of securing a spot.
Good luck applying!
PS: If you live in Berlin, learn how to find a Tagesmutter.
