Parents with two children in full-day care now pay four-digit monthly fees, even though the city itself states that parental contributions cover only about 7–10% of the actual childcare costs.
Despite this, fees have been increased several times in recent years – most recently by 8.66% in the 2023/24 childcare year, the highest increase in 25 years.
This latest increase was adopted automatically by the City of Esslingen, based on the so-called Landesempfehlung (state recommendation) – a non-binding guideline that the city applies without carrying out its own cost analysis.
According to the minutes of the GEB (Parent Council) assembly of 21 November 2023, several critical gaps remain:

• The city has no comparative analysis with other municipalities in Baden-Württemberg.
• There is no calculation of the actual cost per childcare hour.
• No state recommendation exists for Ganztag (full-day care), meaning that these fees lack any official basis.

As a result, families in Esslingen pay significantly above-average fees compared to the rest of the state – especially in full-day care, which has become up to three times more expensive than extended opening hours (VÖ).
This situation is socially unjust and disproportionate, particularly because the city already covers the vast majority of childcare costs and additionally receives state funding.
Other cities show that a fairer approach is possible:

• Heilbronn offers fee-free places for children over the age of 3.
• Ostfildern charges only half the standard fee for families with incomes below €30,000.
• Ludwigsburg has significantly lower fees, despite a similar cost structure.

Parents who work must not be penalized simply because they rely on full-day childcare.
We therefore call on the City of Esslingen to disclose, review and reform its fee structure in order to relieve families financially and ensure true social fairness.