Every child in Germany could soon have their language and development checked well before their first day of school. On Thursday, 12 November 2026, the Bundestag passed the government’s Start Opportunities and Quality Development Act by a clear majority: 458 members voted in favour, 132 voted against and one abstained.
At the earlier second-reading stage, the CDU/CSU, SPD and AfD backed the bill, while the Greens and the Left Party opposed it.
Until now, the way children are assessed has depended heavily on where they live. Only three of Germany’s federal states require, or are introducing, checks that cover both language and other areas of development. Seven more test language alone or plan to do so soon.
Even where assessments exist, states differ on how old children are when tested, who gets tested, which methods are used and where the checks happen. Extra help for day-care centres with many children from difficult backgrounds is just as uneven. The new law aims to bring this patchwork under one common national standard.
Under the law, each child’s language skills and overall development must be assessed no later than their fifth year of life. Wherever a need is identified, targeted support follows. To make this possible, day-care centres will get two hours of staff time per child for the assessment, and at least 30 minutes per child every week to plan and guide the support that follows.
Children who are not enrolled in a day-care centre will not be left out. They too will be assessed and supported, with each state deciding how this works locally.
Day-care centres with a larger share of children growing up in challenging circumstances will receive extra staff. At least one in ten centres in every state is set to benefit. During committee discussions, lawmakers made small changes to the original draft, giving states more freedom in planning staff so that short-term staff shortages do not get in the way of supporting children.
The states will carry out the new tasks, and the federal government will help cover the cost by passing them a larger share of VAT revenue. The states will receive 1.5 billion euros in both 2027 and 2028, 1.2 billion euros in 2029, and around 990 million euros each year from 2030 to 2034. The federal government says these amounts are already factored into its 2027 budget plans.
The law now goes to the Bundesrat, Germany’s chamber representing the federal states, whose approval it needs before it can come into force. After that, much of the work shifts to the states. Each one will need to set out in its own law how children who don’t attend day-care will be assessed and supported.
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