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Quality in Day Care

Erzieherin mit Kindern

Image: SenBJF/Jannette Kneisel

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The quality of early childhood education, child-raising and care is of decisive importance for the further life journeys of children and thus influences the future viability of our society. As places of early childhood education, day care facilities have a special role and responsibility.

Berlin Educational Programme for day care centres and child day care

The assurance and ongoing development of quality in Berlin day care centres is legally incorporated in relevant laws and regulations. Quality is carried out through a variety of approaches and measures and is jointly controlled by the day care centres, the providers and the State of Berlin.

Fundamental to the educational quality in Berlin day care centres and child day care is the Berlin Educational Programme, which was first published in 2004 and again in a revised edition in 2014.

The education concept described in it, the role of specialists and administrators, the educational areas as well as statements on cooperation with parents and on the design of transitions are guidelines for everyone involved in day care. The publisher is the State of Berlin.

  • Berlin Education Programme

    for day care centres and child day care (in German)

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Quality agreement on day care facilities (QVTAG)

Based on the Berlin Education Programme, the associations of the league of the central organisations of independent social welfare work in Berlin, the umbrella association of Berlin children’s and schoolchildren’s shops (DaKS), in-house operations and the State of Berlin entered into the Agreement on quality development in Berlin day care centres.

This agreement applies to all day care centres in the State of Berlin that are publicly funded in accordance with the Day Care Assistance Act (KitaFöG). The agreement aims at constant quality development through the continuous implementation of the Berlin Education Programme in Berlin day care centres. To this end, the following binding measures were agreed on:

Berlin Educational Programme in the day care centre concepts

A pedagogical concept must be developed in every day care facility in accordance with Section 10(9) of the Day Care Assistance Act (KitaFöG), which describes the implementation of the tasks according to Section 1 of the KitaFöG in the everyday work of the facility. The objectives and quality requirements of the work must be based on the requirements of the Berlin Education Programme (No. 3.1. QVTAG).

Additional information on the concept, including the “Recommendations for the further development of the day care concept” is available on the website of the Berlin Day Care Centre Institute for Quality Development.

Internal and external evaluations

Evaluations are procedures for the systematic and professionally based review and assessment of the quality of the work that has been achieved. Internal and external evaluations of the Berlin Educational Programme serve to ensure and develop quality in Berlin day care centres. Its implementation is mandatory in all publicly financed day care centres (No. 3.2., 3.3. QVTAG).

Internal evaluation

The internal evaluation of the Berlin Education Programme is an instrument for quality assurance and development in Berlin day care centres. It enables the day care teams to reflect on their professional work, ascertain the quality of their work and identify any development needs. This leads to the agreement of specific steps for the further development of quality.

The Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family has published Materials for an internal evaluation process for the Berlin Education Programme that relate directly to the areas of responsibility and the quality requirements and criteria of the Berlin Education Programme.

Further information on the internal evaluation is available from the Berlin Day Care Institute for Quality Development, which works on behalf of the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family.

External evaluation

Another instrument for quality assurance and development in the Berlin day care centres is the external evaluation. This expands and supplements the internal evaluation with a neutral assessment from the outside.

The external evaluation gives the day care centres a professionally based external assessment of the quality that has been achieved. The quality level and development requirements are designated in a constructive form, and specific recommendations for the further development of quality are provided. Every day care centre in Berlin is evaluated at least every five years by a provider approved by the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family for external evaluation of the Berlin Education Programme.

Further information on the external evaluation is available from the Berlin Day Care Institute for Quality Development, which works on behalf of the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family.

Berlin Day Care Institute for Quality Development (BeKi)

The BeKi is a scientific institute under the umbrella of the Berlin International Academy for Innovative Pedagogy, Psychology and Economics gGmbH and works on behalf of the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family.

The BeKi supervises and supports the implementation of the quality development measures described in the Quality agreement for day care facilities (QVTAG) and scientifically evaluates the processes and their results. On the website of the BeKis you can find extensive information about quality development in day care centres.

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Support of educational practice in day care

Kita-Kinder mit Erzieherin

Image: matka_Wariatka/depositphotos

Social Pedagogical Training Institute Berlin-Brandenburg

The Social Pedagogical Training Institute Berlin-Brandenburg (SFBB) as a state-owned continuing education institution is aimed at child and youth welfare specialists from Berlin and Brandenburg and helps them to meet the continuously changing demands in their profession.

The SFBB offers an extensive programme of professional qualification and thus supports the specialists in dealing with current issues and developments and in gaining knowledge and competence for their everyday educational work.

Consultation day care centres – experience practice-related educational quality

Day care educators and prospective educators, administrators and teachers, representatives of the providers and other interested parties have the opportunity to experience practical work in accordance with the Berlin Education Programme and to enter into an exchange of professional experience on various focal points such as language education integrated into everyday routine, artistic design or discussing nature, environment and technology.

The teachers in the consultation day care centres are available with their experience and knowledge as competent specialists and look forward to an exchange of practical experiences, ideas, open questions and professional assessments.

The eight consultation day care centres in Berlin welcomes interested parties for a tour of the facility followed by an expert discussion, work shadowing or professional consultation in a small group. The Berlin Day Care Institute for Quality Development (BeKi) is supporting the project on behalf of the State of Berlin and in cooperation with the Social Pedagogical Training Institute Berlin-Brandenburg (SFBB).

This offering of the consultation day care centres is financed by the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family and is available to you free of charge. The number of consultation day care centres was expanded in 2015 with additional focal points. You can find more information at Konsultationskitas.de.

State programme “Day care centres on the move – for a good, healthy day care centre”

As part of the Berlin state programme Day care centres on the move – for a good, healthy day care centre”, the focus is on supporting education and health in Berlin day care centres. The state programme initiates an ongoing organizational development process in the participating day care centres. As part of the programme, the day care centres get the opportunity to use free advanced training, professional support and an online survey for educational professionals and parents.

By including everyone involved in the daily day care routine, the participating day care centres are making a contribution to the further development of the quality of education and health – for the well-being of Berlin’s children. You can get information about the programme, the cooperation partners, the participating districts and day care centres in the information flyer. You can find additional information at www.gute-gesunde-kitas-in-berlin.de.

For professional information on health-promoting quality development, see the Frame of reference for a good, healthy day care centre.

BiSS-Transfer – Federal programme “Education through language and writing”

BiSS-Transfer is a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Conference of Ministers of Education for the transfer of language education and reading and writing support in schools and day care centres. It ties in with “Education through Language and Writing” (BiSS). The initiative started on 1 March 2020 and is designed to run for five years.

BiSS was a federal research and development programme that was carried out from 2013 to 2019. As part of the programme, the offerings for language training, language diagnostics and reading support for children and adolescents introduced in the federal states were scientifically examined and developed further with regard to their effectiveness and efficiency. The elementary area in the state of Berlin is participating in BiSS with three so-called associations (projects).

Regional Comenius programme “Young children as active learners exploring their world (YALE)”

Since 2013 the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Science has been a supporter of an EU project in partnership with the City of Poznań (Poland) and the Astrid Lindgren Institute in Poznań. Partners in Berlin are the organization “Children in Motion” and the Berlin Day Care Centre Institute for Quality Development. During the course of the programme, the focus was on the possibilities of enabling children to actively design their own learning processes. A brochure on the ‘ YALE ‘ project 2013 the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Science has been a supporter of an EU project in partnership with the City of Poznań (Poland) and the Astrid Lindgren Institute in Poznań. Partners in Berlin are the organization “Children in Motion” and the Berlin Day Care Centre Institute for Quality Development. During the course of the programme, the focus was on the possibilities of enabling children to actively design their own learning processes. A brochure on the ‘ YALE ‘ project was published by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs. You can read about the results in a practical guide: was published by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs. You can read about the results in a practical guide:

Science Education: House of Little Researchers

Dealing with nature and the environment is attractive for young children. Many of their ‘why’ questions involve natural phenomena. The charitable foundation House of Little Researchers” assists pedagogical specialists and teachers in providing qualified support to the inquiring minds of girls and boys of day care and primary school age. A number of Berlin day care centres are certified as “Houses of Little Researchers”, and educators work together in networks and undergo further training. The Senate Department for Education, Youth and Science supports the foundation in its work.

Children’s Arts Centre

The Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family supports the Children’s Arts Centre. The centre aims to effectively strengthen early childhood cultural education in Berlin. Artists from many fields work together with the children and educational specialists from day care centres in workshops over several months, participatory exhibitions, mini-festivals or on innovative forms of parenting education. On the initiative of the Children’s Arts Centre, the Berlin network for early cultural education was founded 2012 to bring together the different participants in this area.

TUKI – Theater and day care

The Theatre and day care centre – TUKI project started in August 2011 throughout Berlin as a cooperative project between ten day care centres and ten children’s theatres. TUKI has been supported by the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family since 2014. The goal is to introduce children to the art of theatre on a permanent basis. TUKI is a forum for professionalisation both for the artists and for the teachers in the day care centres. Part of the TUKI programme is the active involvement of parents.

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