Bad Wiessee's New Daycare Thrives with Diversity and Growing Demand

Bad Wiessee's New Daycare Center at Full Capacity—Fourth Nursery Group to Open in April, But Staff Housing Went Elsewhere

BAD WIESSEE – In autumn 2024, Bad Wiessee opened its new daycare center, a spacious facility designed to expand and secure long-term childcare in the community. At a recent town council meeting, officials confirmed that operations are running smoothly and current demand is being met. The center's leadership, along with Barbara Scheckenbach, representing the Catholic daycare association, provided an overview of the work in both the nursery and kindergarten.

Scheckenbach described the move from the old kindergarten on Hagngasse to the modern new building as a "milestone." As part of the transition, the Catholic Church took over responsibility for the nursery in addition to the kindergarten. "Building this up was a major challenge," she admitted, citing the ongoing shortage of skilled workers. Ultimately, however, they succeeded in recruiting enough staff.

The Wiessee nursery is licensed for five groups and up to 60 children. As daycare director Heike Blume reported, 36 boys and girls are currently cared for in three groups. Expansion is on the horizon: "Starting in April, we can open the fourth group," Blume announced, accommodating requests from five additional families.

The nursery provides age-inclusive care, Blume explained, with children from seven nations and four different faiths. Of the future 41 children, 34 are from Bad Wiessee, while seven come from other communities in the valley.

For older children in the kindergarten, 100 spots are available. "The kindergarten is fully booked—actually slightly over capacity," Blume told the council. However, around 30 children are expected to transition to primary school in September, freeing up space.

Council members praised both the provider and the center's leadership. "The children love going there—you've brought this daycare center to life wonderfully," said Isabel Döder (SPD), herself a mother of a kindergarten child. CSU spokesperson Florian Sareiter emphasized that the town had "made the best of a difficult situation," referring to the change in management. Originally, the nursery was to remain under the Evangelical congregation, but after a dispute between the municipality and the church, the town transferred responsibility to the Catholic daycare association. Now, with a single provider overseeing the entire center, synergies—particularly in staffing—have emerged.

Johannes von Miller (Greens) raised the issue of housing. "When planning the building, we prioritized creating living space for staff," he recalled. As previously reported, nine apartments were built in the attic of the daycare center to help attract much-needed personnel. "Are they being used?" Miller asked.

Surprisingly, Blume revealed that only one daycare employee currently lives in one of the apartments. The reason? "Almost all our colleagues are local."

That doesn't mean the apartments are empty, however. The municipal utility company (KU) has assigned them to other residents in need. "We can't afford to leave housing vacant," said Mayor Robert Kühn (SPD). The KU rents the units to people who currently require accommodation. But what if a daycare employee suddenly needs a place to live? "We manage 200 apartments in our portfolio," Kühn assured the council. "We will always find a solution for our staff."