The same applies as before the pandemic: Germany (and other European countries) are culturally, socially & educationally in a phase of change with serious implications for the everyday professional situation of educators. Early childhood education facilities / day-care facilities have a growing proportion of children & families with migration and/or refugee experiences & thus an increasing heterogeneity. Thus, educators in these facilities are faced with numerous (new) challenges. Early-childhood educational work has to adapt to growing cultural and linguistic diversity and support children of different social and cultural background in understanding their living environment and shaping it confidently, competently and responsibly. This requires educators to be aware of their environment and its effects on their work. The project was meant to supplement the current discussion of educational quality in day-care facilities through a critical, possibly even questioning examination of one's own national concepts, structures and traditions. A look at other educational systems and early-childhood educational approaches in other European countries can put traditional concepts into perspective and provide important impetus for the future.
It should be noted at the outset that the project was not carried out on a regular basis - mainly due to the developments of the Corona pandemic. Of the 18 mobilities originally applied for, only three were carried out regularly, despite great efforts and an extension of the project duration. Nonetheless, we maintain that such a project makes sense in principle. If anything, the pandemic has made it clear that the social sector in particular - and thus also institutions such as crèches/day-care centres - are systemically relevant. The idea to carry out the project arose from several years of good experience in similar projects with trainees in the field of ECEC. As is the case for projects with trainees, the project supports: - Europe being experienced. - the promotion of the staff’s personal development. - the development of the staff’s intercultural competence. They also learn how work is done in other systems and are ambassadors for their own work. - the growing recognition of the field and it’s being made more attractive; something that is of great importance in view of the increasing shortage of skilled workers. - that EU goals for the ECEC field are made more visible.