Promotion of the Use of Childminders or Day Fathers

In Upper Austria, an initiative by the Office of the Upper Austrian State Government, Directorate for Culture and Society, supports investment measures and training for day mothers and fathers. The goal is to expand the provision of pedagogically qualified childcare places in accordance with the Upper Austrian Child Education and Care Act to meet demand and to create new educational and care offerings. The funding priorities include training & further education, education, children and youth, as well as labor & social affairs. As a grant, the program covers both acquisitions and professional further training. Eligible applicants include public institutions as well as privately active, self-employed, and employed day parents with the appropriate professional qualifications.

Prerequisites for funding are relevant professional training, personal suitability, official approval, and the regular, paid care of children beyond a single day segment. Newly entering day parents must additionally complete a federally certified training course with a quality seal. Eligible applicants are legal entities according to the circular and self-employed day parents who submit informally. Eligible expenses include investment and training costs, documented by invoices and proof. Examples of funded items include the furnishing of educational rooms, play and safety materials, as well as seminar fees and curriculum training. Innovative is the consideration of newly established care offerings: day parents who are active for the first time in the respective billing period create new places and can claim investment costs for this. The funding period extends from 01.09.2022 to 31.08.2027. This measure creates high-quality care offerings across the region and sustainably promotes professional exchange among educational experts.