We'd already had great experiences with a similar institution elsewhere, so we contacted the network immediately upon moving to Bonn. Unfortunately, we were truly disappointed here—and other parents we know have had similar experiences. Something urgently needs to be done about this, because a network like this is so useful for parents and childminders. The matching process doesn't work at all here. I had the feeling the consultants were just reciting guidelines but couldn't help at all. Since we were already familiar with childcare and had looked at the information on the website—which was useful—our contact with the network was unfortunately a complete waste of time. So please do better, because you are needed!

We were extremely satisfied with the work of the Child Daycare Network. Our contact person was extremely supportive in our search for a childminder. We found our contact person to be motivated, friendly, engaging, and very reliable. This work is so important in Bonn given the shortage of childcare places. Thank you so much for this!

Without the network, we would never have found our daycare placement! Before contacting the daycare network, I sent several emails to daycare centers and received only rejections, as our child needed a place in the winter and the main changeover always takes place in August. The contact by phone and email was always friendly and professional and gave us renewed hope of finding daycare. Thank you so much for your help and effort!

Unfortunately, I can agree with the first review. The staff were very unfriendly. From the perspective of a childminder, I can say that they don't speak on equal terms. The people in the network who manage us should have worked as childminders for a year themselves to even have a say in OUR affairs. Many of us have more than just the TPP qualification and are educators, social workers, childcare workers, etc. The network treats us like second-class citizens. Discriminatory. The latest example: a new employee, without even properly introducing herself, calls during childcare hours and immediately starts ranting into the phone. Is that professional? Absolutely not. This Ms. L. needs psychological counseling herself first before she can counsel others. We cannot be treated like that. The network needs new rules and a supervisory authority.

It's incomprehensible what their purpose is. They don't help the childminders, they don't help the parents, they don't adhere to deadlines, and they don't replace direct contact with the youth welfare office. I've known the network for 10 years and can't say a single good word about them. What they do is grant themselves "power" instead of fostering "cooperation" between parents, childminders, and the youth welfare office. It's a joke to call what they do "work." There isn't a single responsible person who reliably supports parents/childminders. Not one! And that's quite sad, especially since I actually have such people at the youth welfare office and, for example, at the Family Center Workshop for Peace Education. Whether it's Ms. Kaspers or Ms. Zebula, you can always reach them and get objective, reliable support and answers. At the network, no one feels responsible. The constantly changing people in charge contradict each other, lose documents, talk about "rules" but apparently don't know anything specific about them, nor can they follow them themselves. It's baffling what criteria these people are hired by. The network is overestimating itself and exercises authoritarian power. There's no one to turn to if you disagree with them. This fact alone demonstrates that this approach cannot be legally sound. To be employed as a staff member in such a "network," there would need to be at least a proportion of childminders who have actually worked in this field in the Bonn area, in order to even understand the childminders' perspective. Similarly, there should be no parent representation. This simply doesn't exist. The network considers itself internally to be the be-all and end-all. And it is. The be-all and end-all of this useless organization. The City of Bonn really needs to consider how to support parents and childminders. The network can't do that. Neither can the non-existent substitute system... A lot needs to change. And fast!