Child Care Facilities; Applying for Staff Approval

Educational professionals are individuals with theoretical and practical training in social pedagogy, as evidenced by a domestic or foreign degree equivalent to at least the level of a vocational academy.

Supplementary educational staff for the care of children of all age groups, on the other hand, are individuals who have completed at least two years of training that is predominantly focused on education. In addition, educational staff must possess the German language skills necessary to fulfill educational and developmental goals.

Generally recognized professional groups for working as educational specialists include, among others, early childhood educators, early childhood educators, social educators, and, for the role of educational support staff, childcare workers.

In addition to these professional qualifications, approval has been granted for other qualifications by general decree (Announcement of the Bavarian State Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Affairs dated December 27, 2023; Ref. No. V4/6000.01-1/684) in conjunction with Section 16(6), first sentence, of the Child Education Ordinance (AVBayKiBiG), approval has been granted to work as a specialized or supplementary educational staff member within the meaning of special education law. The general ruling has been published in the Bavarian Ministerial Gazette.

Individuals who do not hold a degree comparable to the reference professions mentioned above, or for whose degree approval has not been granted by general ruling, but who can demonstrate educational qualifications and professional experience in the field of child care, have the option of applying directly to the operator of a child day care facility and having that operator submit their application to the competent supervisory authority to determine whether their educational qualifications are sufficient to work as a support staff member or even as a specialist. In principle, the operator of a facility is required to maintain documentation proving that the staff it employs possess sufficient qualifications.

The educational support staff member or specialist to be hired does not hold any of the following qualifications:

• State-certified early childhood educator
• State-certified childcare worker
• State-certified social educator (Diploma/B.A.)
• State-certified early childhood educator (B.A.)
• State-certified special education teachers / special education teachers (B.A.)
• State-certified special education caregivers
• Individuals completing a professional internship as part of their early childhood education training at a technical college for social pedagogy
• A qualification listed in No. 1 or No. 3 of the General Ruling (StMAS announcement of December 27, 2023; Ref. No. V4/6000.01-1/684).

The operator of the child care facility submits the application to the authority responsible for issuing the operating license. If the daycare center is operated by a municipality within a county, the county administrative office is responsible. If the daycare center is operated jointly by an independent city and the county, the state government is responsible.

Upon application by the operator of a child care facility, the competent authority reviews whether the operator meets the professional qualifications required by law and whether the necessary approval can be granted. Approvals are facility-specific; this means that if the facility changes, a new approval must be obtained from the competent authority. If the authority confirms approval for employment as a specialized or support educator, the corresponding hiring may proceed.

You can use the childcare job list from the Bavarian Center for Family and Social Affairs – Bavarian State Youth Welfare Office (see “Further Information”) to check whether your domestic or foreign professional or academic degree has already been reviewed and evaluated as a pedagogical qualification for working as a support staff member or specialist in Bavarian daycare centers. These evaluations are recommendations that are not legally binding and do not replace the approval of the supervisory authorities responsible for the childcare facility. Furthermore, they often involve individual cases that have been reviewed with consideration of the applicant’s specific background. If the vocational or academic degree has already been reviewed, the individual can generally be assigned a position in accordance with the recommendation in the childcare profession list, provided that the assessment of facility-specific factors is also positive. However, the final decision on this matter rests with the competent supervisory authority.

If the vocational or academic degree is not listed, it is recommended to submit an application to the ZBFS – the Bavarian State Youth Welfare Office – to assess the professional qualification and to determine whether the relevant training (or degree) qualifies the individual to work as a specialist or support staff member. This assessment is non-binding. The Bavarian State Youth Welfare Office does not conduct equivalency assessments of foreign professional qualifications; it merely provides information on whether employment as a supplementary or specialized childcare professional in Bavarian child care facilities can be recommended.

• The following documents are required:
  
  • Copy of personal identification documents (e.g., passport, residence permit, work permit)
  • Original diploma certifying professional qualification(s) and a German translation thereof
  • Proof of the curriculum (e.g., list of subjects)
  • Resume in tabular format (with complete details of educational and professional qualifications)
  • Evidence of professional experience in the desired field (e.g., work placement or a detailed employment reference)
  • Proof of your German language proficiency: Language level B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
  • Letters/notices from other authorities