Federal government extends deadlines for full-day care until 2030!

Federal government extends deadlines for full-day care until 2030!

The federal government has passed a draft law to extend the investment program for all-day care in primary schools in order to sustainably advance the expansion. According to initial information, the government plans to extend the deadlines for investments in this area in order to give states and municipalities more planning security. A corresponding draft (21/514) has already been discussed in the Bundestag and is based on an identical proposal (21/216) from the coalition factions CDU/CSU and SPD. The first consultation took place on May 22, 2025, and the approval of the bill was an important step towards a sustainable education infrastructure.

From the 2026/27 school year, a legal right to all-day support for primary school children will gradually come into force as part of the “Law for all-day support for children of primary school age” (All-day support law - GaFöG). In order to achieve these ambitious goals, the federal government has provided a billion-dollar funding program for the states. However, many funds were not drawn down within the foreseen deadlines, due to various barriers to investment.

Investment barriers and challenges

The government recognizes that ongoing planning uncertainties for larger construction projects and shortages of skilled workers in construction professions make the implementation of projects more difficult. In addition, some state programs for structuring funding applications did not come into force until 2024. These circumstances lead to uncertainty as to whether the necessary construction work can be completed by the end of 2027. Federal Minister for Family Affairs Karin Prien emphasizes the need for reliability and a realistic view of local challenges.

In order to remove these obstacles, it was decided to extend the investment program by two years. The new time frame enables states and municipalities to implement planned and initiated measures even under difficult conditions. The changes to the All-Day Financial Aid Act (GaFinHG) are intended to enable these measures to be completed by December 31, 2029. In addition, settlements can be made until June 30, 2030.

Funding and goals

The federal funds provided amounting to 3.5 billion euros will therefore be available until 2029. This initiative is part of the coalition agreement and shows the political will to reliably expand all-day care. With the aim of introducing a legal entitlement for all school children in grades one to four from the 2029/30 school year, the government is setting a clear course for a future-oriented educational landscape.

The deadline for dissolving the special fund in the All-Day Financing Act (GaFG) will be extended to December 31, 2030 in order to create further scope for the necessary redistribution of funds. The measures made possible by these changes in the law are crucial for the successful implementation of the legal right and the high-quality expansion of all-day care.

For further information on this topic, see the detailed reports from bildungsklick.de and bmfsfj.de available.