In Germany, most children go to Kita until around 6 years old. It’s a free daycare for young children.
This guide explains how to send your child to Kita.
Daycare costs
In Germany, daycare is free. Sending your child to Kita is free.
Kitas can charge extra for meals, special activities, and language lessons.2 Food usually costs €23 per month for food.
The Kita can charge up to €100 for optional services: sports, language lessons, activities or special food (like vegan or organic food). These services are always optional.1
Difficulty
In Berlin, it’s easy to find a Kita for your child. There are too many Kitas and not enough children.4 It was really hard before, but things have changed.3
It’s harder to find a Kita that accepts children under 1 year old.5
How to send your child to Kita
1. Get a Kitagutschein
A Kitagutschein is a voucher for free childcare. The Kita needs this document.
Apply for a Kitagutschein from 2 to 9 months before your child starts Kita. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to get it.
2. Look for Kitas
Use the Kita Navigator, HeyAva or Kita.de to find a Kita with free spots.
You can look for Kitas before you get your Kitagutschein. Do it after you move to Berlin, because you usually need to visit the Kitas in person.7
Your Kitagutschein is valid anywhere in Berlin. You can choose any Kita. Choose a location that is convenient for you. You can change Kitas later.
3. Contact Kitas
Contact Kitas, and ask for a spot for your child. If they have no spots, they might put you on a waiting list. Look for application instructions their website.
You can contact Kitas before you get your Kitagutschein.
If the Kita does not answer your emails, call and ask to visit. Try contacting them again later.8 Sometimes, children leave and new spots become available.
Some Kitas also have information days when you can visit and ask questions.6
4. Visit Kitas
Many Kitas have information days.6 You can visit the Kita and ask questions.
During your visit, ask these questions:
- How many children are there, and how many teachers?
- Are the children split up by age, or are they in different rooms/parts of the Kita?
- Does the Kita provide food?
- What kind of pedagogical approach does the Kita follow?
- What are the Kita’s opening hours? If you work full time, the opening hours can be a problem.9
- How do they resolve conflicts between the children?
- Where do the children sleep?
- Are there any additional costs?
- How do the Kita employees interact with you, your children and the other children?
Look at the Kita’s reviews on HeyAva, on Google Maps, and in Facebook groups for parents.
5. Sign a contract
When you find a Kita, ask for a contract. Sign the contract and send it back with a copy of your Kitagutschein.
6. Your child’s first days at the Kita
When your child begins at Kita, they start with the familiarization process (Eingewöhnung). They must get used to being left alone with Kita employees.
At first, you stay at the Kita with your child. Then you leave your child with the employees for longer and longer periods, gradually.
The Eingewöhnung takes 2 to 5 weeks.
Leave a few weeks for the Eingewöhnung between your Kita start date and the date you return to work.
When you choose a Kita start date and a date to begin work, factor in several weeks of Eingewöhnung.
Need help?
Parenting resources and communities
Sources and footnotes
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Reddit, Reddit, reddit.com/r/germany, Reddit, bertelsmann-stiftung.de (October 2022), berliner-zeitung.de, kitakriseberlin.org ⤴
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rbb24 (July 2025), rbb24 (October 2025), berliner-zeitung.de (October 2025) ⤴