Early childhood educators start their careers highly motivated – but many leave their field or place of work early: Only about a third of the specialists in the state of Bremen remain working in childcare in Bremen ten years after starting their careers.
The study examined the reasons
Commissioned by the Senator for Children and Education and the Bremen Chamber of Employees, the Institute for Labor and the Economy (iaw) investigated the reasons for this in a study. The results were presented under the title "Motives for Career Decisions of Educators".
Numerous obstacles lead to the departure
This makes it clear: Difficult working conditions, a stressful work environment and conflicts within the team, as well as work-life balance problems, but also the motivation for professional development often lead to a reduction in working hours or leaving the profession.
Aulepp: Recruiting and retaining skilled workers is a pressing task
Bremen's Senator for Children and Education, Sascha Aulepp, emphasizes: "In the interest of our children, but also of our colleagues in our daycare centers, we must attract qualified staff, but we must also retain them. While the number of qualified staff in Bremen's daycare centers has grown by ten percent in the past five years, another 1,950 people are currently completing social pedagogy training or further education in Bremen."
The recommendations for action from the whereabouts study provide a basis
“Nevertheless, many children still do not attend daycare, and there is still a high demand for social education professionals in many areas. The recommendations from the retention study provide us with an important basis for developing and implementing further measures to secure social education professionals in Bremen,” added the Bremen Senator for Education.
Making training and working conditions more attractive
Peer Rosenthal, Managing Director of the Bremen Chamber of Employees: “We need every qualified professional in nurseries and daycare centers to improve the childcare situation. Therefore, we must make training and working conditions more attractive. We are pleased that the Senator is taking the situation in daycare centers seriously and is addressing the recommendations.”
The path of appreciation through payment
An important aspect is the pay, which is criticized by both trainee and current childcare workers, even though the unions have succeeded in securing significant salary increases and improved job classifications, in addition to increased vacation and leisure days, and because continuing education for childcare workers is consistently promoted in Bremen. This path of improvement should be continued.
Deficiencies already present during training
The study shows that problems arise even during training: While the content is generally rated positively, trainees see a significant need for improvement, particularly regarding their income during training. They also criticize shortcomings in the integration of theory and practice, as well as in conflict resolution within the institutions. Already qualified professionals primarily criticize the high workload, which negatively impacts the quality of care.
The majority work part-time
Currently, around 58 percent of daycare workers are employed part-time – mostly for 30 to 35 hours per week. Around 40 percent of them would be willing to increase their working hours if these conditions were improved. "Full-time staff complain in particular about a lack of political appreciation, a lack of substitute arrangements, inadequate health and safety protection, the distribution of children with special needs, and group sizes," explains study author René Böhme from the iaw.
What is also striking is that around a third of employees are planning to reduce their hours or even change jobs – especially younger people, men, and employees with low job satisfaction or poor health.
Improvements for everyday work
According to the study, in everyday work, measures such as improved backup staffing and the expansion of multi-professional teams can help reduce workload. It is important that these teams combine pedagogical, therapeutic, and support skills. At the same time, dedicated, protected time is needed for preparation, follow-up, and peer consultation. This will ensure high-quality teaching, improve the work environment, and strengthen self-efficacy.
"No child should be left out"
Senator Aulepp also supports this: “Given the living situation of our children, we need early childhood education for every child in our facilities; no child should be left out. And in the long term, we need higher quality for the targeted support of children, especially in facilities in neighborhoods where the challenges for children and their families are particularly high,” said Senator Aulepp.
Desire for more intensive practical support
Another point of the study concerns the desire for more intensive practical support. Longer, structured practical phases, reliable and well-qualified contact persons in the institutions, and realistic preparation for working conditions should ensure that prospective professionals get off to a good start in their careers. Furthermore, more flexible training pathways—such as modular qualifications, part-time training, or programs for career changers—can open up new target groups.
Diverse options for training and further education as well as career changers
The Senator for Children and Education has broadened the scope of social work training and professional development in recent years, currently offering full-time, part-time, and work-study programs. These are complemented by entry-level measures for individuals with limited prior qualifications and by career change options for those with relevant prior qualifications, both domestic and international.
Financial security
Financial support is guaranteed for all continuing education programs, for example through the Federal Training Assistance Act (Aufstiegs-BAföG), which amounts to at least €1,000 per month, through the assumption of school and salary costs by the Senator for Children and Education, or through funding programs from the Employment Agency or the Job Center. Furthermore, the recognition of qualifications in social professions acquired abroad has been expedited.
Peer Rosenthal: Establishing training coaches
However, the practical integration of trainees must be well-supported. "To prevent prospective educators from dropping out of their training due to conflicts and thus being lost to the profession, we propose establishing training coaches here as well – similar to the 'Stay Connected' program – following the model of the 'Stay with It' initiative," demands Chamber Managing Director Peer Rosenthal. Without well-trained professionals, the tense situation in nurseries and kindergartens cannot be resolved.
Integrated standard training (InRa) is designed to be entirely practice-oriented
For the 2026/27 school year, the Senator for Children and Education plans to fully orient the vocational training program for early childhood educators (Integrated Standard Training (InRa)) towards practical application. The professional internship ("recognition year") will be fully integrated into the vocational training program, so that students will gain practical experience in childcare facilities from day one.
Further improve the integration of theory and practice
“With the transition to the Integrated Standard Training (InRa), we want to further improve the integration of theory and practice and make continuing education for educators even more attractive,” emphasizes Senator Aulepp. High-quality instruction is also crucial for the success of the training and helps to prevent dropouts: Therefore, the training courses for practical instructors are being redesigned and tailored to better support both qualified professionals and career changers.
Chamber of Employees proposes pilot project
The study showed that workloads in daycare centers are not uniformly high. The pressure is particularly intense in groups with a high proportion of children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special needs. The Chamber of Employees is therefore proposing a pilot project with smaller group sizes. "We need to focus on the daycare centers that face particular challenges. If we can demonstrate, through this model, what good work in daycare can look like, then something could be transferred to other daycare centers," emphasizes Rosenthal.
Implementation of the “Systemic Daycare Support” program will begin in the 2025/26 daycare year
The Senator for Children and Education is currently working with the Senator for Labor, Social Affairs, Youth and Integration on the implementation of the pilot project "Systemic Daycare Support," which is scheduled to begin in the 2025/26 daycare year. Through the use of systemic daycare support, children will receive rapid, targeted, and easily accessible assistance in line with the principles of inclusion, enabling them to participate fully in regular daycare activities. This can also help to relieve the workload of daycare staff.
Springer pools are to be expanded
The Chamber of Employees also proposes maintaining better substitute staffing reserves – for example, through a central pool of substitute staff for smaller facilities in the over-three age group. "Large providers already use substitute pools to organize coverage in case of illness. This is hardly feasible for small daycare centers; a central pool of substitute staff could help here," demands Rosenthal. Senator Aulepp adds: "The substitute staffing options that the district school offers our schools could serve as inspiration for a similar solution in the daycare sector."
Source: Press Office of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, The Senator for Children and Education / Bremen Chamber of Employees, Press Release 01.09.2025