Article
    by Nortal

    A city-wide web application benefits both parents and daycare centres

    Since November 2019, parents have been able to easily search for a daycare location in Berlin online. Nortal was responsible for developing and implementing the corresponding software in the existing IT structure.

    Service

    Modern Software Development

    Industry

    Government

    The challenge

    Financing model for child daycare

    A new financing model for child daycare in Berlin required a fundamental reorganization of administrative processes. Therefore, the Berlin Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family entrusted Nortal AG with the task of making it easier for Berlin parents to search for, find, and initially communicate with the daycare centers and to speed up the entire process.

    The digitalization of the allocation of daycare places is intended to ease the burden on parents and daycare management alike.

    — Sandra Scheeres, Senator for Education, Youth and Family Affairs

    “The Kita-Navigator offers great advantages for parents and daycare center managers. It contributes to greater transparency and provides all the features parents expect from a state-of-the-art online service for daycare search.”

    The solution

    Software for the Kita-Navigator

    Nortal developed the software for the Kita-Navigator as a web application for childcare place search. At www.kita-navigator.berlin.de, parents can search directly online for daycare locations and make inquiries. The availability of the centers is shown in a clear traffic light system. Up to 10 inquiries per child can be made at the same time. Additional filter categories, such as the pedagogical approach or multilingualism of the facility, make it possible to tailor the search results to the child’s individual needs.

    This change also means moving away from paper lists and reorienting toward a centralized search process. The aim is to clear the way for an effective and quick allocation of daycare locations. However, the daycare center management remains the final decision-maker regarding allocation. The Kita navigator can be accessed via the Berlin service account. It is embedded in the Integrated Software Berlin Youth Welfare (ISBJ) and the IT structure of the IT Service Center Berlin (ITDZ Berlin). ISBJ and ITDZ organize the operation together.

     

    Technical details

    • The Kita-Navigator is browser-based and can be accessed via your cell phone, tablet, or computer internet connection.
    • All transmitted data is treated in strict confidence per the latest data protection standards.
    • The Kita-Navigator includes all childcare locations funded by the City of Berlin.
    • The Kita-Navigator will continue to be developed with new, user-friendly features in the future.

    How it works

    1. You are looking for a daycare location.
    2. You can search and filter centers’ specific features within the Kita-Navigator.
    3. Daycare centers matching your search are displayed on the map and as a list.
    4. You can view childcare openings 24 months in advance.
    5. You can use the Kita-Navigator to request daycare places.
    6. You will be contacted by the daycare center, which carries out the admission process.
    7. The daycare place is allocated to you.
    Go to the daycare navigator

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