Erfurt has a special place for young families. For kids aged two and up, the state capital maintains an outstanding full-coverage network of child care facilities, especially in comparison with Western German cities.

The 90 day care and preschool centers can accept 6,800 children. Ten of the preschool centers are run by state operators. The others are operated by private companies. If they have a Kita-Card, parents can enroll their kids long-term at a preschool or day care center. That provides certainty for other aspects of life planning.

Working parents with children under two can drop off their toddlers at day nurseries. Additional child care is provided by childminders. In all these child care centers, parents can choose among full-day slots, half-day slots and various food options depending on their needs.

Children continue to receive excellent care after leaving preschool centers: Every child attending elementary school in Thuringia has the right to enroll at an after-school care center.

In Erfurt, comprehensive care and support is not restricted to the youngest children. Its educational system enables kids to realize their dreams, whatever they may be. Private educational institutions, public schools, specialty high schools, Christian college-prep high schools, language schools, and the Schülerakademie, a recreational facility with an educational program, provide a top-flight education. In a country where most high schools require 13 years of schooling, students in Erfurt and the rest of Thuringia graduate in 12 - without compromising on academic rigor, as achievement tests have shown. 

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