Full-Day Education Support Act (GaFöG)

Under the Act on Full-Day Support for Children of Elementary School Age (Full-Day Support Act—GaFöG), the federal legislature has established a legal entitlement to full-day support for elementary and special education school children in Book VIII of the Social Code (SGB VIII). This entitlement will be phased in starting with the 2026–2027 school year, beginning with first-grade students. In subsequent school years, the legal entitlement will be extended to the next grade level, so that by the 2029–2030 school year, it will apply to all children of elementary school age. This legal entitlement includes full-day care from Monday through Friday for eight hours per day, with school hours counted toward this care time. The legal entitlement also applies during school breaks.

The introduction of a legal right to full-day care for elementary school-aged children is intended to close the care gap (particularly on Friday afternoons and during school breaks) that arises for many families when their children transition from daycare to elementary school. This makes it easier to balance family and work life. In addition, full-day programs for elementary school-aged children help ensure that all children have equal educational opportunities , regardless of their social or family circumstances.

There is no obligation to enroll in the full-day program. It is up to each family to decide whether to enroll their child and for how long.

In connection with the introduction of the legal right to full-day care, the federal government is providing the states with a total of 3.5 billion euros for the qualitative and quantitative expansion of full-day care programs. The financial assistance consists of so-called “acceleration funds” totaling 750 million euros, as well as “base funds” totaling 2.75 billion euros. A total of approximately 1.7 million euros in base funding is available to the city of Idar-Oberstein. These funds will be used to modernize schools in accordance with the All-Day Education Act (see newspaper article 2024).

Further information is available on the GaFöG FAQs page of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate or from Ms. Oberländer using the contact information provided here.

The legal right to full-day care applies not only during the school year but also during school breaks. Starting with the fall break of 2026, all children enrolled in first grade are entitled to care services during school breaks. For school breaks, the states may set a closure period of up to four weeks (see the 2026/2027 calendar). The SV Idar-Oberstein’s school break programs are carried out in collaboration with recognized independent child and youth welfare organizations, clubs, and other stakeholders.

Registration for programs during the fall break of 2026 is open to first-graders from August 10 through August 26, 2026, via the online portal https://idar-oberstein.ferienprogramm-online.de. A spot is guaranteed only if the registration deadline of August 26, 2026, is met. After the registration period for first-grade students has ended, individual programs will be opened to other grade levels if capacity allows.

To meet the legal requirement of 8 hours per day, after-school care services are provided on Friday afternoons through the “Betreuende Grundschule” program. This after-school care program is a service provided under the Full-Day Education Act; the public youth welfare agency (Idar-Oberstein Youth Welfare Office) serves as the point of contact and coordinates the deployment of care staff. Further information is available in the Downloads section (care regulations, FAQs, registration, change of address, and cancellation forms, SEPA direct debit authorization, and phone numbers of the care staff).

In the 2026–2027 school year, the Supportive Elementary School program was established at two elementary schools in Idar-Oberstein (Algenrodt and Oberstein). Registration for the 2026–2027 school year was open until April 17, 2026. Only newcomers may still register (see the BGS registration form) during the school year.

We are always looking for dedicated individuals to assist and support children during after-school care or on Friday afternoons. The responsibilities include, among other things, supervising the children, helping them with meals, and leading playful, creative, and/or athletic activities. No formal training in education is required.

If you're interested, please feel free to contact us:

• Human Resources Office:

• Youth Welfare Office:

At the Youth Welfare Committee meeting on October 27, 2026, the proposal titled “Implementation of the Legal Entitlement Under the Full-Day Education Act (GaFöG) in Idar-Oberstein” will be presented. If the plan is approved, it will subsequently be available here in the download section. It is designed as a dynamic plan and is intended to be continuously refined and adapted to new requirements. In addition, all important information regarding the Full-Day Support Act can be found here.