▁the ▁income ▁of ▁the ▁parents . ▁ ▁Even ▁in ▁smaller ▁town ships , ▁there ▁are ▁often ▁both ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁and ▁Luther an ▁kind er gart ens ▁available . ▁Places ▁in ▁cr è ches ▁and ▁kind erg arten ▁are ▁often ▁difficult ▁to ▁secure ▁and ▁must ▁be ▁' res erved ' ▁in ▁advance , ▁although ▁the ▁situation ▁has ▁improved ▁with ▁a ▁new ▁law ▁in ▁effect ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁The ▁avail ability ▁of ▁child care , ▁however , ▁var ies ▁greatly ▁by ▁region . ▁It ▁is ▁usually ▁better ▁in ▁eastern ▁regions , ▁and ▁in ▁big ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁north , ▁such ▁as ▁Berlin ▁or ▁Hamburg , ▁and ▁poor est ▁in ▁parts ▁of ▁Southern ▁Germany . ▁ ▁All ▁care t akers ▁in ▁ ▁or ▁ ▁must ▁have ▁a ▁three - year ▁qualified ▁education , ▁or ▁are ▁under ▁special ▁super vision ▁during ▁training . ▁▁ ▁can ▁be ▁open ▁from ▁ 7 am ▁to ▁ 5 pm ▁or ▁longer ▁and ▁may ▁also ▁house ▁a ▁cr è che ▁() ▁for ▁children ▁between ▁the ▁ages ▁of ▁eight ▁weeks ▁and ▁three ▁years , ▁and ▁possibly ▁an ▁afternoon ▁ ▁( o ften ▁associated ▁with ▁a ▁primary ▁school ) ▁for ▁school - age ▁children ▁aged ▁ 6 ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁who ▁spend ▁the ▁time ▁after ▁their ▁less ons ▁there . ▁Al ong side ▁nur series , ▁there ▁are ▁day - care ▁n urs es ▁( ▁or ▁) ▁working ▁independently ▁of ▁any ▁pre - school ▁institution ▁in ▁individual ▁homes ▁and ▁looking ▁after ▁only ▁three ▁to ▁five ▁children , ▁typically ▁up