: ▁der ▁Kinder g arten , ▁pl ural ▁) ▁is ▁a ▁facility ▁for ▁the ▁care ▁of ▁pre - school ▁children ▁who ▁are ▁typically ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁years ▁old . ▁By ▁contrast , ▁ ▁or ▁ ▁refers ▁to ▁a ▁cr è che ▁for ▁the ▁care ▁of ▁children ▁before ▁they ▁enter ▁ ▁( 9 ▁weeks ▁to ▁about ▁three ▁years ), ▁— liter ally ▁" children ' s ▁day ▁site ", ▁usually ▁short ened ▁to ▁ ▁is ▁an ▁um bre lla ▁term ▁for ▁any ▁day ▁care ▁facility ▁for ▁pr esch ool ers . ▁ ▁Att endance ▁is ▁volunt ary , ▁and ▁usually ▁not ▁free ▁of ▁charge . ▁Pre - school ▁children ▁over ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁one ▁are ▁entitled ▁to ▁receive ▁local ▁and ▁afford able ▁day care . ▁Within ▁the ▁federal ▁system , ▁ ▁fall ▁under ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁states , ▁which ▁usually ▁delegate ▁a ▁large ▁share ▁of ▁the ▁responsibility ▁to ▁the ▁municipal ities . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁subs id iar ity ▁principle ▁st ip ulated ▁by ▁§ 4 ▁S GB ▁VIII , ▁there ▁are ▁a ▁mult itude ▁of ▁operators , ▁from ▁municipal ities , ▁churches ▁and ▁w elf are ▁soci eties ▁to ▁parents ' ▁initi atives ▁and ▁profit - based ▁corpor ations . ▁Many ▁ ▁follow ▁a ▁certain ▁educational ▁approach , ▁such ▁as ▁Mont ess ori , ▁Reg gio ▁Em ilia , ▁"" ▁or ▁Wald orf ; ▁forest ▁kind er gart ens ▁are ▁well ▁established . ▁Most ▁ ▁are ▁subs id ised ▁by ▁the ▁community ▁coun c ils , ▁with ▁the ▁fe es ▁depending ▁on