Velbert’s Childcare in Focus: Expansion, Funding, and Child Protection

Velbert is investing in more childcare places and child protection

In 2026, Velbert has taken a significant step in childcare. The city not only assumed the management of a new daycare center but also expanded the overall childcare capacity. At the same time, child protection is being strengthened – a crucial signal in times of increasing reports of endangerment.

Expansion of childcare places: 3,136 places for the kindergarten year 2026/2027

Velbert has planned a total of 3,136 childcare places in daycare centers and in-home childcare for the kindergarten year 2026/2027. This number reflects a strategic expansion in response to growing demand and demographic changes.

• 2,506 places for children over 3 years of age (99 % coverage rate)
• 630 places for children under 3 years of age (39 % coverage rate)
• 152 support places for children with disabilities

The childcare hours are aligned with the needs of parents: 55 % of the childcare places are in 45-hour childcare, 42 % in 35-hour childcare, and 3 % in 25-hour childcare.

A focus of the expansion is the new daycare center on Sontumer Straße, located in central Velbert. It will consist of 5 groups and offer 94 places – 19 of which are for children under three years of age and 75 for children over three years of age.

Management takeover: The new daycare center on Sontumer Straße

The city of Velbert is taking over the management of the new daycare center on Sontumer Straße and will operate it in the future as a municipal facility. This step is part of a long-term strategy to shape and develop the childcare landscape in the city independently.

In the grant calculation for municipal daycare centers, an overall grant rate of 87.5 % is applied, with the city of Velbert bearing 12.5 % as its own contribution. The state grant amounts to 40.2 %, with an additional 3 % deduction according to § 38 Abs. 5 KiBiz.

The following positions are planned in the staffing plan for 2026 for the new facility:

• 1 Director of the daycare center (S15 TVöD SuE)
• 1 Deputy Director of the daycare center (S13 TVöD SuE)
• 12 pedagogical specialists (S8a TVöD SuE)
• 1 Housekeeping staff (25 hours/week, E3 TVöD VKA)
• 0.5 BTHG specialist (S8b TVöD SuE) as needed

The expansion of the municipal daycare center Schillerstraße in Velbert-Neviges and the extension of the AWO daycare center Nierenhofer Straße in Velbert-Langenberg are further measures to be implemented in 2026/2027.

Strengthening child protection: More inspections and coordination

In February 2026, the city of Velbert also decided on measures to strengthen child protection. The youth welfare service will be involved in administrative inspections as soon as there are indications of child endangerment. Cooperation with the police and municipal authority will be intensified, and youth welfare service staff will independently take measures to prevent endangerment.

The numbers speak for themselves: In 2025, 439 child protection reports were filed, significantly more than the 289 reports from the previous year. The most common indicators of endangerment are:

• Psychological violence: 30.8 %
• Neglect: 38.5 %
• Physical violence: 18.5 %
• Sexual violence: 12.3 %

The city of Velbert has developed a child protection concept for the new daycare center on Sontumer Straße and emphasizes that child protection is a shared responsibility of all adults in municipal institutions. Children should be taken seriously and feel safe.

Strengthening local community work: Support for families

Starting in 2027, Velbert will support local community work in the field of youth welfare with a maximum of 350,190.71 euros annually. The support focuses on low-threshold, outpatient advisory and support services for families, children, and young people. The goal is to create opportunities for participation for families affected by or at risk of poverty.

Supported measures include:

• Preventive offers: Language circles, open meeting places, intergenerational projects
• Educational offers: Parenting courses, parent evenings, training programs
• Counseling: Low-threshold, short-term counseling in the parent course STEP
• Self-help: Support for self-help groups and multipliers

Local community work is a central component of Velbert’s strategy to prevent social inequality and support families at an early stage.

Outlook: Child and Youth Support Plan 2026–2030

The Child and Youth Support Plan 2026–2030 is another key instrument for shaping the future of childcare in Velbert. After delays due to an increased response rate to the youth survey, the plan is scheduled for May 2026. It will be presented to the Youth Welfare Committee for coordination and will form the basis for future investments and reforms.

Velbert thus demonstrates that childcare, child protection, and youth support are not viewed in isolation, but are embedded in a comprehensive, interconnected system. The city is committed to equal opportunities, inclusion, and youth participation – not only in childcare, but also in politics.

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