No childcare place? Here is what you can do now.
Have you registered your child but not received a suitable childcare place? Write to the youth welfare office stating when you need childcare to start and the hours you need. Here you will find two template emails and the next steps if you face a waiting list, a refusal or no reply.
Would you like to discuss your situation? The initial consultation with advokio Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH is free.
Your next steps
Write to the youth welfare office
State your preferred start date and the days and hours of childcare you need. Use the appropriate template below. If you have already registered, include your registration details and any case reference number.
Keep your documents
Keep registrations, emails, replies and offers of places. Also note when you received each message. Submit any requested documents in good time and observe the stated deadlines.
Get support if you need it
Have you still not received a suitable place, or are you unsure about a reply? You can request a free initial consultation. You do not need to wait for a written refusal first.
No reply, a waiting list or a refusal?
You receive no reply
Follow up with the youth welfare office, preferably by email. This gives you a written record of contacting the youth welfare office and asking it to provide the childcare your child is entitled to. State your childcare needs and refer to your existing registration. Ask for confirmation that your message has been received.
If you have not received a place after the registration deadline has passed and you have already emailed the youth welfare office, you can request a free initial consultation.
Your child is on a waiting list
Being on a waiting list is not yet an offer of a place. The same applies here: if you are only on waiting lists after the registration deadline has passed, you should email the youth welfare office. If that does not resolve the situation, advokio Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft can help you with a free initial consultation.
A childcare centre or the youth welfare office refuses your application
Check who the refusal comes from. A refusal from an individual childcare centre does not usually mean that the youth welfare office has refused your request for a childcare place. However, if childcare centres only send you refusals, put you on waiting lists or do not reply, use the template emails below to contact the youth welfare office.
IMPORTANT: If you receive a formal decision refusing your application, you should have any applicable deadlines checked promptly. If you have received a formal decision refusing your application from the authority, a one-month period begins during which you must challenge that decision.
An offered place is unsuitable
Write down exactly what is unsuitable, for example the start date, hours or accessibility. Tell the youth welfare office and ask whether your child can be offered another place. A place at a childcare centre other than your preferred one is not automatically unsuitable! For children under three, care with a childminder may also be an option.
IMPORTANT: We strongly advise parents against refusing an offered place without first having it reviewed by a lawyer! If you have refused a reasonable place, it is often no longer possible to enforce your right to a childcare place in court for six to twelve months.
Also: if you have refused a place, write to the youth welfare office stating that you still need a kindergarten place for your child, and check whether you need to make a new application for a childcare place.
Template email for children aged one or two
This template is suitable if your child will be at least one year old but not yet three on the desired start date. At this age, a childcare centre or childminding, meaning care with a childminder, may be an option.
Copy the template and replace all the details in square brackets. If you need different hours on different days, list them separately. If applicable, include your existing registration or a case reference number.
Subject: childcare place for [CHILD'S NAME] from [DATE]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am applying for a place for my child [NAME], born on [DATE OF BIRTH], at a childcare centre or with a childminder from [DATE], under section 24(2) SGB VIII.
We live at [ADDRESS]. I need childcare on [DAYS OF THE WEEK] from [TIME] to [TIME] on each day.
We have not yet been offered a suitable place. Please identify an available childcare place that covers these needs.
Please confirm receipt of my message. Please let me know what happens next and whether any further information or documents are required.
Yours faithfully,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS]
Template email for a kindergarten place from the age of three
Use this template if your child will be at least three years old on the desired start date and has not yet started school.
Subject: kindergarten place for [CHILD'S NAME] from [DATE]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am applying for a kindergarten place for my child [NAME], born on [DATE OF BIRTH], from [DATE], under section 24(3) SGB VIII.
We live at [ADDRESS]. I need childcare on [DAYS OF THE WEEK - for example Monday to Friday] for [NUMBER OF HOURS] hours per day.
We have not yet been offered a suitable place. Please identify an available childcare place and let me know how many hours of childcare can be offered.
Please confirm receipt of my message. Please let me know what happens next and whether any further information or documents are required.
Yours faithfully,
[YOUR NAME]
[YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS]
Important points when sending your email
Send the appropriate email to the responsible youth welfare office or the office it has designated. Also observe the local registration procedures and deadlines. A form or registration through a portal may still be required.
Save your sent email and any acknowledgement of receipt. If you also telephone, note the date, names and what was discussed.
Different requirements apply to children under one. You can find more information about this and the number of hours of childcare under Legal entitlement to a childcare place.
These documents help with the assessment
- Registration and confirmation from the childcare portal
- Your messages to childcare centres or authorities, especially the youth welfare office, and their replies
- Refusals and official decisions
- Offers of places stating the start date, childcare hours and address
You do not need to upload any documents for your first enquiry to us.
If you would like support
During the free initial consultation, advokio Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft discusses with you which next steps may be appropriate in your situation.
Would you like to know how a lawyer can help you take legal action for a childcare place and whether advokio UG will cover the costs of your court claim? We explain this on the page Taking legal action for a childcare place.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the responsible youth welfare office?
Look on the official website of your city or district under “Jugendamt” (youth welfare office) or “Kindertagesbetreuung” (childcare). The city or district administration can also tell you which office is responsible.
Do I need a written refusal for the initial consultation?
No. You can also request a free initial consultation if you have not received a reply or your child is on a waiting list. The law firm will discuss with you which documents are needed for further steps.
My parental leave is ending and I have no childcare place. What can I do?
Tell the youth welfare office as early as possible when you need childcare to start and the hours you need. If the start date is approaching or has already passed, have the possible legal steps checked promptly.
What if I am already incurring additional costs or losing earnings?
Keep invoices and other evidence. Whether additional childcare costs or lost earnings can be compensated depends on the individual case. You can find more information under Compensation when no childcare place is available.
Legal basis and further information
Would you like to discuss your next steps?
Request a free initial consultation with advokio Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH.
Request a free initial consultationYour enquiry does not yet establish a lawyer–client relationship.