Debate post This is a debate entry, written by an external contributor. The post expresses the writer’s views.
The majority of the city council in Fredrikstad wants to offer extended opening hours in the kindergartens as a measure to recruit more nurses and care workers. Have they also assessed the staffing situation in the nursery?
We understand that parents of young children who work evening and night shifts need safe supervision of their children. Childcare, which is open in the evening or 24 hours a day, is not a daycare center.
A kindergarten is more than a supervision service. A kindergarten is an educational establishment with the Act on Kindergartens and Framework Plan for Kindergartens as governing documents. In the framework plan for kindergartens, it is stated as an overarching principle that “all actions and decisions that affect the child must have the child’s best interests as a fundamental consideration, cf. section 104 of the constitution and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, article 3 no. 1.”
Will an extended offer in the evening and at night be in the children’s best interests?
An offer in the evening or at night will be a care or supervision offer. In order for us to be able to run an educational offer for the best for children, we believe that it is important that the opening hours in the nurseries are not extended to evening or 24-hour opening.
The municipal council in Grimstad last year said no to the evening or night-time kindergarten.
The investigation in Grimstad showed that there will be increased wage costs of NOK 1.6 million, without the municipality receiving additional grants from the state. There is also no reason to demand more in parental allowance, and it is the nursery owner who has to foot the bill.
With the tight economy we have in Fredrikstad municipality, it is difficult to see that there is money to extend the opening hours in the kindergartens. We fear that the creation of such an offer will have consequences for the already pressured staffing situation in the day care centers and come at the expense of the day care offer.
Today’s staffing situation is very vulnerable and we cannot stretch this any longer!
We believe it is more important to prioritize strengthening the staffing in the day-time nursery provision than to create an extended provision.
The business managers in the municipal kindergartens in Fredrikstad municipality:
Lene Baumann, Oksviken kindergarten
Anne Grorud Øygard, Ambjørnrød kindergarten
Therese Bøe Lervik, Bjørneklova kindergarten
Torunn Syvertsen Haug, Buskogen kindergarten
Kristin Tendal, Fredrikstadmarka kindergarten – Veum
Heidi Elisabeth Magnus Hagen, Gaustadgrenda kindergarten
Anne Beth Hasseløy, Gressvik kindergarten and Solbrekke nature kindergarten
Eli Tronsaune Gulbrandsen, Kiæråsen kindergarten
Elisabeth Bakke, Kjølstad kindergarten
Anne-Mette Nyegaard Hansen, Kongsten kindergarten and Vaterland kindergarten
Raymond Willfred Tiochta, Langøyåsen kindergarten
Roy Terje V. Blix Eliassen, Leie kindergarten
Inger Olsen, Speiderfjellet Kindergarten
Heidi Syvertsen, Løen kindergarten
Hilde Bårdsen, Nabbetorp kindergarten
Henning Magnussen, Rolvsøy kindergarten
Jeanette Martinsen, Smertulia kindergarten
Kari Holter Hansen, St. Hansfjellet kindergarten
Hege Irene Martinsen, Torsnes kindergarten
Laila Eliassen, Trosvik kindergarten
Viljar Hasseløy Rødje, Åsebråten and Speiderfjellet kindergarten
Tags: Debate Local politics fear staffing crisis kindergarten
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