Kindergarten

Every child from the first year of life until school age has a legal entitlement to a kindergarten place. But it is only the decision of the parents, whether the child should attend a daycare or not. There is no duty in Germany to send your child to the kindergarten.

In Hamburg, there is the so-called Kita-voucher-system. Parents first apply for a childcare voucher for their child at their local district office. You send the application three to six months before the desired start of care to the responsible department for child day care of the district offices. Parents can then redeem the voucher in every day care center that participates in the daycare voucher system. The day-care center is looked after by the parents themselves.

Further Information: http://www.hamburg.de/elternbeitrag/3032326/kita-gutschein/

School

It is mandatory for all children from the age of six to go to school. There are different deadlines to determine if a child has to start school.

State of Hamburg: All children who reach the age of six by the 30th of June are required to attend school. If the child is not ready for schooling at the age of six, it is also possible to delay the school entry. Children who turn six after the specified deadline for school enrollment can be admitted to school prematurely at the request of their parents. To clarify whether the child is ready for schooling (physical and intellectual development as well as its mental resilience and social competence) there will be the so called “Schulreifetest”.