On June 2, 2026, Zukunft D and the GeDAB net\u00adwork hos\u00adted a joint event titled \u201cDigi\u00adtal Plat\u00adforms for Inclu\u00adsive Access to Edu\u00adca\u00adtion.\u201d Tog\u00ade\u00adther with repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adves from govern\u00adment, aca\u00adde\u00admia, the field of early child\u00adhood edu\u00adca\u00adtion, and other stake\u00adhol\u00adders in early child\u00adhood edu\u00adca\u00adtion, we dis\u00adcus\u00adsed how digi\u00adtal solu\u00adti\u00adons can con\u00adtri\u00adbute to grea\u00adter par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adtion in access to child care. <\/p>\n\n
The start\u00ading point was the obser\u00adva\u00adtion that, as digi\u00adta\u00adliza\u00adtion con\u00adti\u00adnues to advance, access to early child\u00adhood edu\u00adca\u00adtion is incre\u00adasingly being orga\u00adni\u00adzed through digi\u00adtal plat\u00adforms. At the same time, signi\u00adfi\u00adcant bar\u00adriers to acces\u00adsing early child\u00adhood edu\u00adca\u00adtion pro\u00adgrams per\u00adsist. Mar\u00adgi\u00adna\u00adli\u00adzed child\u00adren in particular\u2014such as child\u00adren with a history of migra\u00adtion or child\u00adren with disabilities\u2014often face struc\u00adtu\u00adral hurd\u00adles in the allo\u00adca\u00adtion of child\u00adcare spots. Fur\u00adther\u00admore, in many places, the cri\u00adte\u00adria for assig\u00adning spots are not trans\u00adpa\u00adrent. As a result, more and more muni\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adli\u00adties and pro\u00advi\u00adders are tur\u00adning to digi\u00adtal plat\u00adforms to orga\u00adnize regis\u00adtra\u00adtion and assign\u00adment pro\u00adces\u00adses and make them more transparent. <\/p>\n\n
With this in mind, we tur\u00adned our atten\u00adtion to the ques\u00adtion: \u201cDo digi\u00adtal plat\u00adforms help pro\u00admote inclu\u00adsive access to education?\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Viola Laux, Divi\u00adsion Direc\u00adtor and Deputy Depart\u00adment Direc\u00adtor for Early Child\u00adhood Edu\u00adca\u00adtion and Care at the Schles\u00adwig-Hol\u00adstein Minis\u00adtry of Social Affairs, gave us insight into the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties and chal\u00adlenges of digi\u00adtiza\u00adtion using the Schles\u00adwig-Hol\u00adstein day\u00adcare data\u00adbase as an example.<\/p>\n\n
Her pre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion made it clear that digi\u00adtal plat\u00adforms offer signi\u00adfi\u00adcant poten\u00adtial: They can con\u00adso\u00adli\u00addate infor\u00adma\u00adtion, stream\u00adline pro\u00adces\u00adses, and make it easier for fami\u00adlies to access ser\u00advices. At the same time, howe\u00adver, it was also empha\u00adsi\u00adzed that digi\u00adtiza\u00adtion alone does not auto\u00adma\u00adti\u00adcally lead to grea\u00adter par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adtion. Com\u00adplex regis\u00adtra\u00adtion pro\u00adce\u00addu\u00adres, tech\u00adni\u00adcal jar\u00adgon, or a lack of digi\u00adtal resour\u00adces can still con\u00adtri\u00adbute to fami\u00adlies being excluded from these services. <\/p>\n\n
These fin\u00addings were also con\u00adfirmed by Sabine Hil\u00adger, direc\u00adtor of the Office for Early Child\u00adhood Edu\u00adca\u00adtion, Upbrin\u00adging, and Care in the City of Rosen\u00adheim. Unfort\u00adu\u00adna\u00adtely, Ms. Hil\u00adger had to can\u00adcel her par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adtion due to a last-minute emer\u00adgency. In her plan\u00adned pre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion, she would have pro\u00advi\u00added insights into the imple\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion of the digi\u00adtal regis\u00adtra\u00adtion pro\u00adcess for the AKDB\u2019s day\u00adcare spot pilot program. <\/p>\n\n
The infor\u00adma\u00adtion that Sabine Hil\u00adger pro\u00advi\u00added us in the run-up to the event also high\u00adlights the limi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons of muni\u00adci\u00adpal over\u00adsight. For exam\u00adple, as the super\u00advi\u00adsory aut\u00adho\u00adrity, the City of Rosen\u00adheim does have an over\u00adall view of the regis\u00adtra\u00adti\u00adons and can the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfore inter\u00advene to exert con\u00adtrol. Howe\u00adver, Bava\u00adria lacks a legal basis that would allow muni\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adli\u00adties to man\u00adda\u00adto\u00adrily allo\u00adcate spots to pri\u00advate pro\u00advi\u00adders. Regu\u00adla\u00adtory opti\u00adons the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfore rely pri\u00adma\u00adrily on agree\u00adments and cooperation. <\/p>\n\n
Ano\u00adther chall\u00adenge, which both Ms. Hil\u00adger and Ms. Laux noted, is that in many muni\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adli\u00adties, the direc\u00adtors of child care cen\u00adters make the final decis\u00adion on the allo\u00adca\u00adtion of spots. For fami\u00adlies, it is often unclear what cri\u00adte\u00adria are used to make these sel\u00adec\u00adtions. As a result, exis\u00adting lack of trans\u00adpa\u00adrency can per\u00adsist even in digi\u00adti\u00adzed processes. <\/p>\n\n
A key insight from the event was the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfore that digi\u00adtiza\u00adtion is not an end in its\u00adelf. For digi\u00adtal ser\u00advices to help break down bar\u00adriers, they must be tail\u00ado\u00adred to the diverse needs of fami\u00adlies and sup\u00adple\u00admen\u00adted by in-per\u00adson sup\u00adport ser\u00advices. At the same time, a deli\u00adbe\u00adrate and thoughtful imple\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion is nee\u00added within govern\u00adment agen\u00adcies, ser\u00advice pro\u00advi\u00adders, and child care cen\u00adters. Rai\u00adsing awa\u00adre\u00adness among the stake\u00adhol\u00adders invol\u00adved regar\u00adding issues of par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adtion, trans\u00adpa\u00adrency, and acces\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adlity is a key pre\u00adre\u00adqui\u00adsite for ensu\u00adring that digi\u00adtal pro\u00adces\u00adses can truly rea\u00adlize their potential. <\/p>\n\n
We would like to extend our sin\u00adcere thanks to Viola Laux for her prac\u00adti\u00adcal insights, her in-depth know\u00adledge of the Schles\u00adwig-Hol\u00adstein day\u00adcare data\u00adbase, and the sti\u00admu\u00adla\u00adting dis\u00adcus\u00adsion. We would also like to thank Sabine Hil\u00adger for the infor\u00adma\u00adtion and per\u00adspec\u00adti\u00adves she shared from the city of Rosen\u00adheim. We would also like to thank all par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpants for their ques\u00adti\u00adons, exper\u00adtise, and lively discussion. <\/p>\n\n
For anyone who was unable to attend the event or would like to explore spe\u00adci\u00adfic aspects in grea\u00adter depth, we are making the recor\u00adding of Viola Laux\u2019s pre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion available. In it, she pro\u00advi\u00addes insight into the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties and chal\u00adlenges of digi\u00adtal plat\u00adforms in early child\u00adhood edu\u00adca\u00adtion and, using the Schles\u00adwig-Hol\u00adstein day\u00adcare data\u00adbase as an exam\u00adple, illus\u00adtra\u00adtes both the poten\u00adtial and the limi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons of digi\u00adtal access procedures. <\/p>\n\n