Addressing Daycare Needs in Germany

There is a need for more day care centers in German communities. One recent news report said nearly 300,000 children are waiting for an opening. Ahrensburg, near Hamburg, needs to accommodate 160 children for daycare and 120 for Kindergarten. TeachBeyond Germany has stepped up to help meet that need and is exploring opportunities in a few other communities in the northern part of the country.

TeachBeyond has the vision to begin transformational education with toddlers by incorporating a Christian worldview into the daycare program. This has been successful in the Baby English Club and Preschool Giraffe in Minsk, Belarus.

Andreas and Iris Koch are leading the startup program in northern Germany.

“In Ahrensburg, we are considering starting a half-day program for about 20 children. The requirements for rooms and staff are lower than for a full-day program. However, this can be an economic challenge due to lower financial support from the government,” Andreas explained. “We have inquiries from believing teachers who want to have a ministry in the new day care center. For that we are very grateful.”

“We are currently checking a site in Rostock,” Andreas continued. “It is the first suitable offer we have received in Rostock after a year of searching, but unfortunately it's very expensive.”

He reports making progress with property in Delmenhorst, near Bremen, where there is a need for 400 places. We would like to start a daycare center with three classes. The seller of the large property is ready to sell a small part now and reserve the rest for future expansion. We will first see if the daycare with three groups has a good start, and then we will gladly expand if the need arises,” Andreas said. "We are praying for the permission from the authorities to start a daycare and Kindergarten at this location"

There is a small team in Limburg, north of Frankfurt, where TeachBeyond is in discussion about starting a Kindergarten within the framework of an existing day care center. The team is looking for a trainee or volunteer as soon as possible, preferably to teach English since the school would be bilingual.

Please pray for encouragement and clarity for the Kochs and their team members as they develop these new opportunities in northern Germany.