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Child Care​ & School

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Child Care 

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Do you need someone caring for your child while you are at work? There are many options for childcare in Germany, but you must register your children in good time for these childcare programs. Sometimes, places are in short supply due to high levels of demand. Therefore, please do not expect that you will get a free spot/place for your child from one day to the other!  

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Cologne is a city that is filled with Expats from all around the world. Therefore, Cologne offers a few child care (Kindergarten) options for parents with kids who don’t speak German yet. Below you can find a few examples: 

 

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In case you are not relocating to Cologne, but to a nearby city (like Düsseldorf or Bonn) it would make sense to look for childcare options in your German city of residence. This way, you do not have to worry about too long commuting times and ways. 

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To get an overview of the different child care options available in Cologne, please feel free to check out the so-called KiTa-Portal of the city of Cologne. 

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Schools

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Most German children attend public schools. In comparison to some other countries, it’s not very common for German children to attend private schools. During the first 4 school years (grades 1-4), children will attend primary school (Grundschule). Starting from the 5th school year (so starting from grade 5) there is a variety of secondary schools (Gesamtschule, Hauptschule, Realschule, and Gymnasium). 

 

The new school year usually starts after the summer season (so mid to end of August of each year). To learn more about the German school system, please feel free to take a look here.

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Our advice as to where to place your child would vary depending on the city you choose to live in, their age, and whether they speak German or not. However, there is a system in place in all cities to help children to integrate into the school and kindergarten system, so no need to worry! 

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In our experience, children tend to learn German quicker than adults, and immersion in the German school system is a great way to speed up the learning process! How quickly your particular child will learn German will of course depend on a variety of factors, including the age of the child and the stage they’re at in their school journey.

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As Cologne is an international city, there is a great support network for non-German speakers and many German schools offer additional support for non-German speakers.

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Depending on the age of your children and the stage they’re at in their studies you may also wish to consider an international school. There are a number of options for international schools in Cologne and some surrounding areas:

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For the under-3 years old:

  • toddler groups

  • male and female childminders

    • The daycare takes place in the home of the childminder, the child is cared for in the childminder’s family, often together with the childminder's own children.

  • cribs (Kinderkrippe)

    • Daycare centers for children up to the age of three, where they learn to live and interact with other children in an age-appropriate and well-equipped environment. 

    • The group sizes in cribs are generally rather small. The costs may vary according to region.

 

From 3 years to starting school:

All children older than 3 years of age have a legal right to a preschool place. Here you have these options:

  • male and female childminders (see above)​

  • Kindergarten

    • The German kindergarten is like a preschool for children between 3 and 6 years. It is not part of the regular public school system and is not required. The tuition is normally based on your income.  

    • The space is often limited because the majority of the kids attend them. The group size here is 20 to 22 children.

    • To enroll your child in a kindergarten you will need a voucher (Betreuunggutschein), which is issued by the Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) of your local residents’ registration office. Once you receive this, you just need to contact the local kindergarten, but you have to do this within 2 months of being issued with the voucher. Here you can reserve a seat for your child.

  • Kindertagestätte/Kita (child daycare centers): 

    • The German Kindertagesstätte (KiTa) is also like a preschool for children between 3 and 6 years. It is not part of the regular public school system and is not required. In contrast to the kindergarten, the childcare takes place in the afternoon. Thus the KiTa represents a supplement to the kindergarten.

 

From school age:

  • all-day school

  • after school facility (Hort) 

    • An institution, which is open at after school hours, at least until 4 p.m. and in some cases longer. Supervisors organize recreational activities and help the children with their homework. During school holidays they usually offer full-day holiday activities.

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