Bremen launches comprehensive workplace health management
Promoting the health of daycare staff improves the quality of education and thus the development of children in daycare centers. This is the conclusion reached by the Standing Scientific Commission of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (SWK). The SWK highlighted this topic at a press conference in Berlin with Berlin's Senator for Children and Education, Mark Rackles.
Bremen is taking SWK's demands seriously and is launching targeted measures to sustainably improve the situation in daycare centers. Workplace health management (BGM) will be a key component.
"Daily life in daycare is demanding"
The Senator for Children and Education, Mark Rackles, emphasizes the importance of health promotion: “Let’s not kid ourselves: Everyday life in daycare centers is demanding. Our staff are the heroes of our children. But they themselves often lack adequate support. This was clearly demonstrated by the retention study conducted by the Institute for Labor and the Economy (iaw) at the University of Bremen. If we want to keep our employees in daycare centers, we must focus much more on their health than we have so far.”
Strong, comprehensive services are needed
The Bremen senator added: “They bear responsibility, promote children’s learning, and guide them in their development. This takes energy. That’s why we must focus on their mental and physical well-being, on burnout prevention as well as concrete support such as back fitness courses. Our municipal provider, KiTa Bremen, is already leading the way with good health management, but we need strong, comprehensive programs so that the people in our daycare centers stay healthy – for the children and for themselves.”
SWK calls for health promotion at various levels
The SWK analysis shows that early childhood education is under pressure not only due to the high demand for qualified staff, but also due to difficulties in securing qualified personnel. Many institutions have high rates of sick leave and high staff turnover. This jeopardizes the safety of care and the quality of education. SWK therefore calls for health promotion at various levels.
Short-term measures
SWK is calling for swift legal and financial frameworks to enable the rapid deployment of newly available personnel resources for quality improvements. Staffing ratios should more realistically account for sick leave and employee turnover. To retain skilled workers, SWK recommends a positive campaign emphasizing job satisfaction, meaningful work, and career development opportunities.
“Do your thing” – image campaign for educators continues
Bremen is implementing this: Starting in 2026/27, the image campaign for early childhood educators, "Do Your Thing," will be continued with funding from the "Daycare Quality and Participation Improvement Act" (KiQuTG 2025/26). The digital, target-group-oriented campaign showcases realistic career paths, training and professional development opportunities, and highlights the meaningfulness of the early childhood educator profession. Bremen graduates and professionals will continue to be authentically involved to demonstrate appreciation and attract new talent.
Medium-term measures
The SWK demands that time for professional development, indirect pedagogical work, and collaboration with families be legally guaranteed. The aim is to relieve the burden on specialist staff.
The Senatorial Authority for Children and Education intends to expand management training and firmly integrate occupational safety and workplace health management into management and team-wide professional development programs. A concept is currently being developed; its implementation is planned in the follow-up legislation to the Child and Youth Welfare Act (KiQuTG) 2025/26.
Long-term measures
The Standing Scientific Commission of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (SWK) demands that strategies for coping with stress and resources be taught during training. Furthermore, attractive career paths beyond traditional roles (group educator, kindergarten director) should be created to encourage qualified professionals to remain in the field.
The training program is intended to create improvements
Bremen is taking action and will launch a revised professional development program starting in summer 2026. This program offers courses for practical instructors in practice-integrated vocational training (PiA), internships, and career changers/further qualification measures. The goal is better instruction, fewer training dropouts, and higher quality in training.
Workplace health management (WHM) will be a key component of work in daycare centers in the future. WHM involves managers, employee representatives, and external experts, making health promotion a shared responsibility.
Source: Press Office of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Senator for Children and Education, Press Release , November 24, 2025