Frankfurt Kita Fees: Free From Age 2, Not Just Age 3, Since 2023
Hessen's state law (HKJGB § 32c) only guarantees 6 free hours a day from a child's third birthday until school entry, but Frankfurt itself goes further. Since 1 June 2023, the city charges zero Betreuungsentgelt (care fee) for the full contracted daily care time, not just 6 hours, from the 1st of the month a child turns 2 until they start school. That applies to municipal Kita Frankfurt facilities and independent (freie Träger) Kitas alike. The only thing you still pay for that age group is a flat Verpflegungspauschale (meal contribution): around 75 euros a month for a 5-day full-day or two-thirds spot, or roughly 2.60 euros a month for a 5-day half-day spot without lunch. Children under 2 in Krippe care are a different story: full Betreuung and meal fees apply, for example about 273 euros a month total for a full-time, 5-day spot with no sibling discount, dropping to about 225 euros with two siblings enrolled and about 194 euros with three or more. Income-based reduced fee tiers can be requested from the Stadtschulamt. School-age Hort and Erweiterte Schulische Betreuung (after-school care) aren't covered by the free-until-school-entry rule at all and run their own separate, income-tiered fee schedule.
The Official Rule
Two different rules stack on top of each other in Frankfurt, and mixing them up is the easiest way to misjudge your actual bill.
The Hessen state floor: under HKJGB § 32c, every Kindergarten in Hessen has been required to offer 6 hours of daily care free of charge, from a child’s third birthday until school entry, since 1 August 2018. That’s the statewide minimum every city and municipality has to meet.
Frankfurt’s own top-up: the city went well beyond that floor on its own initiative. Following a Magistrat (city council) decision on 24 March 2023, effective 1 June 2023, Frankfurt charges zero Betreuungsentgelt for the full contracted daily care duration, not capped at 6 hours, starting from the 1st of the month a child completes their second year of life, a full year earlier than the state rule, and continuing until school entry. This applies to Kita Frankfurt (the municipal operator) and independent (freie Träger) facilities alike, and covers half-day, two-thirds, and full-day contracts equally. It doesn’t create an automatic right to a full-day spot, your contracted hours still depend on availability and documented need, but whatever hours you do have under contract are free of a care charge.
What still costs money for the age-2-to-school-entry group is only the meal contribution (Verpflegungspauschale), which the fee-free rule explicitly does not touch:
| Days per week | Full-day / two-thirds (includes lunch) | Half-day (drinks only) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days | 75.00 EUR | 2.60 EUR |
| 4 days | 60.00 EUR | 2.08 EUR |
| 3 days | 45.00 EUR | 1.56 EUR |
| 2 days | 30.00 EUR | 1.04 EUR |
Under age 2, in Krippe care, neither rule applies and full fees are charged, with a sibling discount built directly into the fee table:
| Household situation | Total per month |
|---|---|
| No siblings in care or school | 273.00 EUR |
| With 2 siblings in care or school | 225.00 EUR |
| With 3 or more siblings in care or school | 194.00 EUR |
The sibling count is broader than it might sound: it includes children already in primary school, private school, all-day school, homework supervision, or the free Pact für den Nachmittag program, not just children also enrolled in a Kita. Lower-income households can also apply to the Stadtschulamt for a reduced, income-based fee level rather than paying the standard rate shown above; if your household’s assessable income is above roughly 49,100 euros, no application is needed and the standard rate simply applies.
Hort and Erweiterte Schulische Betreuung (school-age after-school care) are not covered by the free-until-school-entry rule at all. Once a child starts school, an entirely separate, income-tiered fee schedule takes over, with four levels based on household income:
| Fee tier | Taxable household income | Monthly care fee |
|---|---|---|
| Stufe 1 | Over 49,100 EUR | 118.00 EUR |
| Stufe 2 | Up to 49,100 EUR | 89.00 EUR |
| Stufe 3 | Up to 36,900 EUR | 62.00 EUR |
| Stufe 4 | Up to 24,600 EUR | 38.00 EUR |
A flat meal fee (around 75 euros a month for 5 days) and sibling discounts apply on top of these tiers the same way they do for under-2 Krippe care. One more timing detail worth knowing if you have a child starting school around now: from the 2026/2027 school year, Hort and school-based care introduce mandatory attendance until 2:30pm, and holiday-period care (Ferienbetreuung) becomes included in the regular fee for children in grades 1 through 3, rather than billed as an extra.
Photo by Jakub Zerdzicki on Pexels
What Real People Say
The 2023 policy change was a genuinely significant, publicly debated decision, not a minor administrative tweak. City officials framed it explicitly as cost-of-living relief: education councillor Sylvia Weber (SPD) said at the time that the change would relieve Frankfurt families by up to 198 euros a month, since it moved the free-care threshold from age 3 down to age 2 and removed the 6-hour cap entirely. Parents and local reporting describe the practical effect as most noticeable for families with a child who has just turned 2, since that’s the exact point where a previously substantial monthly Krippe bill drops to just the meal contribution overnight.
The more common source of confusion, based on how families actually describe the system, isn’t the age-2 rule itself, it’s assuming it covers Hort once a child starts school. Because the free-care period and school-age after-school care sit right next to each other on the calendar (a child ages out of free Kindergarten care into paid Hort in the same transition), it’s an easy assumption to make that the free period continues. It doesn’t, and the income-tiered Hort fee schedule catches some families by surprise in first grade specifically because the previous few years felt cost-free.
Step by Step
- Work out which age bracket applies to your child right now: under 2 (full fees), 2 to school entry (free care, meal fee only), or school-age in Hort/ESB (separate income-tiered fees).
- If your child is under 2, check whether a sibling discount applies (2 or more children in care or school) and, if your household income is on the lower side, ask the Stadtschulamt about a reduced fee tier rather than assuming the standard rate.
- If your child turns 2 during an existing Krippe contract, expect your bill to drop to just the Verpflegungspauschale from the 1st of that month, no separate application should be needed for the care-fee portion.
- If your child is starting Hort or Erweiterte Schulische Betreuung, apply to the Stadtschulamt for your income tier ahead of time rather than waiting for a first invoice to arrive at the standard rate.
- Keep your income documentation current. If you’re on a reduced tier, submit your renewal roughly 4 weeks before the current determination expires to avoid a gap back to the standard rate.
Compliance Note
This page reflects Frankfurt’s fee rules and the fee schedule effective from 2023 through 2026 as published by Kita Frankfurt and the Stadtschulamt, but euro amounts, income thresholds, and school-age attendance rules (especially the 2026/2027 changes) can be revised. For your specific fee determination, confirm current figures directly with the Stadtschulamt Frankfurt or your Kita.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
We read that Hessen guarantees 6 free hours a day from age 3. Is that what applies in Frankfurt, or is there something better?
There's something better, and it's easy to miss if you only read the state-level rule. Hessen's own law, HKJGB § 32c, sets a statewide floor: 6 hours a day free from a child's third birthday until school entry. Frankfurt went further on its own initiative. Since 1 June 2023, the city charges zero Betreuungsentgelt for the full contracted daily care time, not capped at 6 hours, starting from the 1st of the month a child turns 2, a full year earlier than the state minimum. So if you've read general German or Hessen-wide guidance that only mentions age 3, treat that as the floor, not what actually applies to you in Frankfurt.
Our daughter turns 2 next month and she's currently in a full-day Krippe spot. What exactly will change on our bill?
Your Betreuung (care) charge drops to zero starting the 1st of the month she completes her second year, for whatever daily duration you've contracted, half-day, two-thirds, or full-day. What doesn't disappear is the Verpflegungspauschale, the flat monthly meal contribution. For a 5-day full-day or two-thirds spot that's currently around 75 euros a month; a 5-day half-day spot without lunch runs closer to 2.60 euros a month since it only covers drinks. Fewer days per week scale the meal fee down proportionally. So you'll still see a bill, just a much smaller one than before her second birthday.
Our son isn't 2 yet. What are we actually paying for his Krippe spot right now, and does having another child in daycare change that?
Under age 2, full fees apply and they're not covered by either the state or city free-care rules. As a reference point, a full-time, 5-day-a-week Krippe spot with no sibling discount runs about 273 euros a month total (roughly 198 euros care plus 75 euros meals). If you have a second child also enrolled, that sibling discount brings the same spot down to about 225 euros a month, and with three or more children enrolled it drops further to about 194 euros. If your household income is on the lower side, it's worth asking the Stadtschulamt directly about a reduced, income-based fee tier rather than assuming you're stuck with the standard rate, reduced tiers exist but aren't automatically applied.
Does the sibling discount only count children who are also in a Kita, or does it count kids who've already started school?
It counts more broadly than just Kita-age siblings. According to the city's own fee guidance, the discount applies as long as two or more children from the same household are in care or education, and that includes children already in school, whether that's a regular primary school, a private school, an all-day school, homework supervision, or the free Pact für den Nachmittag afternoon program. You don't need every sibling to be in a Kita for the discount to apply to the one who is.
Our child is starting first grade and will need Hort (after-school care). Does the free-until-school-entry rule cover that too?
No, and this is a common point of confusion. The age-2 free-care rule only covers Krippe and Kindergarten, care up until the point your child actually starts school. Once your child is in Hort or Erweiterte Schulische Betreuung (extended school-based care), a completely separate, income-tiered fee schedule applies, with four fee levels based on your household's taxable income (roughly: over 49,100 euros, up to 49,100 euros, up to 36,900 euros, and up to 24,600 euros), plus the same kind of flat meal fee. Sibling discounts apply here too. Also worth knowing for the 2026/2027 school year specifically: attendance rules for Hort and school-based care are changing to require presence until 2:30pm, and for children up to third grade, holiday-period care is now included in the regular fee rather than billed separately.
How do we actually apply for a reduced, income-based fee level?
You apply directly to the Stadtschulamt Frankfurt (the city school office), not to the Kita itself. If you're already on a reduced tier and want continuous coverage without a gap, the recommended timing is to submit your follow-up application about 4 weeks before your current determination expires. If your household's assessable income is above the top threshold, currently around 49,100 euros, you don't need to apply at all, the standard (Stufe 1) rate simply applies automatically.