It's about a project that is virtually exemplary for the sometimes tough processes in Potsdam's city administration: The so-called Kita-Navigator. This online portal, which was announced more than ten years ago, is intended to make the sometimes nerve-wracking search for free daycare places in Potsdam much easier. After long delays, the city council has now launched the Europe-wide tender for the project.

The tender procedure for finding a provider for such a navigator has been published in the EU Official Journal. A goal of the portal is thus a homepage for the "central on-line completion" of the Kita place assignment. Interested parties can apply for this contract until April 4. The free carriers and day care persons are to receive thus "a uniform Web-based tool" for the support with the assignment and administration of the Kita places.

Parents are to be able to handle the application process for a daycare place completely on the Internet, including the application for the legal entitlement to a daycare place. An overview of available places and facility profiles will also be integrated. According to the announcement, this will reduce travel and waiting times for families in particular and avoid duplicate applications at different daycare centers.

This goal has been set for years, first in 2009, but there have always been delays. First, the many private daycare providers in Potsdam had to be brought on board. In 2013, a simple online tool for finding daycare centers was launched - but the actual navigator was postponed again and again. Among other things, there was a concept for the portal created by students at Potsdam's Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking at the suggestion of the city. In the city hall, the department of youth was mainly responsible - most recently under former department head Noosha Aubel (no party affiliation) - and the head of the main office there, Dieter Jetschmanegg (SPD).

The tender that has now been launched was also mentioned several times. Thus the city administration had explained only in the past summer, the procurement procedure started now should be actually already locked in February 2023. Also now still a suitable prospective customer must be found, said a city speaker on Monday on PNN inquiry. One hopes thereby to be able to assign the order in the third quarter. Whether it becomes then however in this year still something with the Kita navigator, left the speaker open. Further is to be announced in the youth welfare committee.

Photo by Jerry Wang