“With the daycare app and the tablets, we are significantly improving collaboration between parents, daycare centers, and the administration. This facilitates communication, enables more efficient planning of childcare services, and thus supports families and our staff in their daily lives,” explains Mayor Nino Haase.

“Good childcare also requires good framework conditions, which includes a modern digital infrastructure. I am very pleased that with the daycare app, we are taking another step toward digitizing our daycare centers. It is particularly important to me that we design the rollout together with the daycare centers. Change can only be successful in the long term if the people who work with the new services every day receive proper support. That is why we are focusing on a phased rollout, intensive training, and close collaboration with the facilities.”

“Families want reliable and modern communication channels. The Kita-App can help significantly facilitate communication between parents and facilities and simplify organizational processes,” says Nora Egler, Chair of the Mainz City Parents’ Committee (StEA Mainz). “We particularly welcome the fact that the City Parents’ Committee is being involved in the further development and that the rollout is taking place gradually. This way, the experiences of parents, staff, and providers can be directly incorporated into the further design.”

Tablets for Municipal Daycare Centers

The families of more than 4,800 children attending municipal daycare centers will benefit from the app’s introduction. By the start of the new daycare year 2026/2027 after the summer break, all municipal daycare centers will be connected to the app. To this end, each group will be equipped with a tablet. 

Features of the Daycare App

The app offers numerous practical advantages for parents. In the future, they will be able to digitally excuse their children at any time—regardless of opening hours and without a phone call or email. Additionally, the app improves the flow of information and enables structured communication between the daycare center and parents. The daycare app makes it easier for staff to track attendance digitally and provides a better overview of group occupancy. There are also benefits for administration: Anonymized analyses of attendance data will provide more accurate insights into the actual utilization of the facilities—especially during off-peak hours. This supports more needs-based staff planning and the targeted deployment of substitute staff.

Introduction of the Daycare App

The rollout is taking place in phases. Following initial pilot phases in February and March of this year at the Ebersheim, Frankenhöhe, Schillstraße, and MinniMax daycare centers, the rollout was gradually expanded to other neighborhoods. Lerchenberg, Neustadt, Bretzenheim, and Mombach will follow in June 2026, Oberstadt in July, and Gonsenheim and Marienborn in August. 

Before the launch at a facility, the daycare centers receive their group devices as well as a communication plan that defines the framework for communicating with parents. First, the hardware and software are tested internally. Parents are then informed via letter and receive their login credentials.

Outlook

During the pilot phase, operations will be continuously evaluated, and the app will undergo ongoing development. In addition, the administration, together with the staff and with the participation of the City Parents’ Committee, will develop a concept that will eventually enable the pedagogically meaningful use of the provided iPads beyond mere app usage.