Legal All-Day Childcare Entitlement Begins for German First-Graders

What's Changing

Germany has launched a legal entitlement to all-day care for primary children starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, expanding step-by-step so every primary school child gains a legal right to all-day care. The legal entitlement comes into effect on 1 August 2026 and will initially apply to children in Grade 1, expanding year by year until 1 August 2029, when every primary school child (Grades 1 to 4) will be entitled to all-day care—eight hours a day, five days a week.

There will be no obligation to accept the offer of all-day care. Schools may close for a maximum of four weeks during holidays.

The Challenge

Currently, around 430,000 of around 680,000 primary school children participate in all-day programmes, meaning an increase of around 100,000 to 150,000 children will need additional childcare from 2026. It is estimated that around 600,000 to 800,000 additional all-day places need to be created at primary schools, and there is a massive shortage of space at most primary schools, as premises need to be both expanded and renovated. Space shortages and staff shortages are making high-quality implementation of all-day schools extremely difficult.

The federal and state governments are jointly financing the implementation of the new law, with the federal government paying €3.5 billion for the expansion of reliable education and childcare services and contributing €2.49 billion in the years 2026–2029, then €1.3 billion annually from 2030.

What This Means for Expat Families

If you have a child entering first grade in August 2026 or later, you are entitled to request an all-day place at your child's school—no longer does the German school day need to end at lunchtime for your youngest. This is a major game-changer for parents balancing work and family, particularly in larger cities where school infrastructure is being expanded. However, availability varies by Bundesland and municipality; not all states will have full capacity on day one. Register early with your Schulamt (school authority) and your local Jugendamt (youth welfare office) to secure a spot, as demand will be high. For expat families new to Germany, this entitlement removes a significant childcare coordination challenge that has frustrated many working parents.

Sources

• Bundesregierung — All-day care at primary schools to be expanded
• SDUI — The law on all-day support for children of primary school age