Over 4,000 places needed in Luxembourg drop-in centres

The demand for childcare beyond school hours continues to grow, yet precise data on the shortage remains elusive. The Ministry of Education does not currently have comprehensive figures.

At the start of the year, the Ministry of Education distributed a questionnaire to all facilities catering to early years and primary education, enquiring about their waiting lists. Of the 360 facilities contacted, a third did not respond. The two-thirds that did respond reported waiting lists for nearly 5,400 places, according to preliminary data from the Ministry.

Challenges in data comparison

The reported figures are not definitive, as each facility manager compiles data based on their own criteria. Some municipalities count every application received, regardless of eligibility, while others include only those children entitled to a place under their rules. For example, in Luxembourg City and Esch-sur-Alzette, around 200 eligible children remain without a childcare place.

Variations also arise depending on whether parents can enrol their children throughout the year. Despite these differences, it is clear that many operators, and most of the time local authorities, struggle to meet the growing demand. The primary challenges are creating the necessary infrastructure and hiring sufficient staff to accommodate the needs.

Formal and non-formal education under the same roof

When constructing new buildings, many local authorities in Luxembourg increasingly aim to integrate formal school education and non-formal after-school education within the same facilities. This approach places classrooms and drop-in centres in a single building or on the same campus, simplifying logistics for children and enhancing staff cooperation, according to Paul Galles, the municipal executive board member of Luxembourg City responsible for school affairs.

However, Galles' counterpart in Esch-sur-Alzette, Meris Šehović, points out a significant issue. Currently, the standards for building schools and drop-in centres differ. For example, state regulations specify that schools can have 15 steps per staircase, whereas drop-in centres are allowed 16 steps. Šehović criticises these inconsistent rules, arguing that they complicate and increase the cost of constructing integrated buildings where both types of education are provided.

Šehović hopes the government will soon harmonise these standards to facilitate the creation of combined educational facilities.

Renovating old buildings to address childcare shortage

In many areas, local authorities are already happy if they have enough buildings to accommodate all children needing childcare. Often, this involves converting old buildings. For example, the former primary school in Neudorf will reopen this summer as a daycare centre for 140 children.

In Esch-sur-Alzette too, all options are being utilised, according to Meris Šehović. The municipality decided to retain buildings originally slated for sale and convert them into a new drop-in centre with 80 additional places. The goal is to eliminate waiting lists by September 2025 for children living with single parents or whose parents both work.

Political leaders in Luxembourg City and Esch-sur-Alzette aim to eventually offer every child a place in a drop-in centre or care home, regardless of their parents' employment status. To manage this, Esch maintains two lists: a waiting list for eligible children and a secondary list tracking all requests, including those from parents who do not meet the criteria. Šehović emphasises that the municipality aspires to accommodate all children eventually, even if, for example, only one parent works.

Achieving this goal requires significant infrastructure development. Over the next school year, Esch will build three new drop-in centres with over 400 places. Additionally, seven new care homes will open in Luxembourg City in the coming months.

Acute staff shortage

In addition to infrastructure challenges, the shortage of staff in the childcare sector remains a significant issue. To address this, Luxembourg City and Esch-sur-Alzette have decided to improve working conditions to attract more employees. However, both Paul Galles and Meris Šehović agree that the demand for educators in non-formal education will continue to grow.

Forecasts to improve preparedness

To accurately determine future attendance at schools and drop-in centres, both local authorities are making use of forecasts. In Esch-sur-Alzette, this forecasting is done internally by relevant departments on the basis of the General Development Plan (PAG) and the Special Development Plans (PAPs) already underway. According to Šehović, this allows for estimating how many people will move to Esch and what needs will arise in different neighbourhoods. Luxembourg City, which has a relatively large number of public schools attended by nearly half of the capital's children, is working with an external company to produce its projections.