Interview with David Siekaczek, Sira
Company childcare as a competitive factor
Why is company childcare an advantage for companies looking for skilled workers?
Siekaczek: A company childcare service can certainly be a reason for skilled workers to choose a company. After all, the search for a childcare place is still very nerve-wracking for many working parents. Short opening hours, long vacation closing times, high parental contributions or long detours when dropping off and picking up children every day are reasons why many existing childcare places are not suitable for working parents. A company childcare solution, on the other hand, can be planned in such a way that it meets demand and is affordable. It also increases the loyalty of employees who are already with the company. This is because when working parents use a company-supported childcare place, the barrier to switching is significantly higher. In addition, employees can return from parental leave more quickly - this saves costs and reduces staff turnover.
What role do you play in this?
Siekaczek: With Sira Projekte GmbH, we are a service provider for employers and with Sira Kinderbetreuung gGmbH, we are the provider of small childcare facilities - so-called mini daycare centers, mostly based on the large-scale daycare form. We plan and implement our mini daycare centers in cooperation with employers, usually in the immediate vicinity of the location. Our tasks during construction include, for example, searching for real estate, drawing up a financing concept, cooperating with the authorities and obtaining all permits, searching for, recruiting and preparing educational staff, planning and implementing the conversion and organizing the equipment. In addition, we take over the entire day-to-day operation of the mini daycare center after the start, including everything that goes with it.
What requirements must a company fulfill for your mini-daycare centers?
Siekaczek: 9 to 10 childcare places can be created per mini daycare center for children of crèche or kindergarten age. We therefore have a solution for smaller requirements that is particularly suitable for medium-sized companies, smaller companies in a network or locations and branches of larger companies. There should definitely be a willingness to contribute to the investment and operating costs. However, many federal states and local authorities have attractive public models for funding investment and operating costs that can be used. And in contrast to traditional company daycare centers, mini daycare centers have significantly fewer requirements due to the lower number of children - they can be implemented comparatively quickly and cost-effectively and can be well utilized.









