Daycare centre entry in the city of Hof

At the last city council meeting, the "Kita-Einstieg: Bildung ist Zukunft" project was extended by one year until 31 December 2026. The project has been running in Hof since 2018 and aims to promote low-threshold services in order to facilitate access to early childhood education and increase participation in child daycare. The programme was funded by the federal government until the end of 2022; since then, the city of Hof has been solely responsible for funding.

Mayor Eva Döhla: "Early childhood education lays the foundation for equal opportunities and participation. If we invest in daycare entry today, we are investing in a fairer and stronger future for Hof."

The project is carried out in cooperation with Diakonie Hochfranken. The organisation draws up an annual personnel and financial plan, which serves as the basis for the budget for the following year. The collective bargaining regulations of the Diakonie are binding.

Balance sheet of the past years

In the period from 2023 to July 2025, a total of 1,212 counselling sessions were held during the project's consultation hours. Other support services in the same period include:
- Supported children in municipal daycare centres (Mobile Vorschulfüchse, from 2024): 163
- Help for parents with the daycare centre portal (since 2025): 174
- Accompanying families to education & participation offers (since 2025): 44
These figures show The project reaches many families - especially in those situations where access and orientation are difficult. The data available so far for 2025 is based on January to July - a further increase in key figures is expected for the year as a whole.

Why a continuation is so important

The continuation of the project is essential for several reasons. Families receive customised support services, especially in phases of life in which they would otherwise find it difficult to connect. Particular attention is paid to newly immigrated families and those who have not yet attended kindergarten - they should also be given a fair chance of support. For the children, this means targeted support, assistance with language development, strengthening social skills and good preparation for school. At the same time, there is an important added value for the city of Hof: integration, participation and the connection between families from different backgrounds are strengthened. In addition, the project structure enables flexible adaptation to changing needs and creates a stable foundation for the future through close networking with daycare centres, authorities, advice centres and other partners.

The central services

- Learning and childcare services for children without a place in a daycare centre
- Promotion of language and social skills
-Preschool groups ("Vorschulfüchse") and basic skills training
- Support during the transition to daycare
- Interface work between authorities, providers, counselling and facilities