Debate exchange between OB Boch and SPD leader Striegler of Pforzheim
In a recent turn of events, Mayor Peter Boch of Pforzheim finds himself embroiled in a controversy over the allocation of daycare places for his children. The SPD chief of Pforzheim, Frederic Striegler, penned an open letter alleging unequal treatment for two of Mayor Boch's children.
Mayor Boch, however, has vehemently denied these claims, accusing Mr. Striegler of elevating political conflict to a personal level and attacking his family and children directly. In an open letter on Wednesday, Mayor Boch expressed his commitment to a good and constructive working relationship with all political forces in Pforzheim.
The controversy stems from the alleged unequal treatment of Mayor Boch's family in the allocation of daycare places. The allocation process is based on a points system that applies equally to everyone. Children in the age group of Mayor Boch's eldest child, who is in her last year of kindergarten, have a priority for placement in daycare centers due to specific reasons.
Mayor Boch's eldest child will be six years old, and his youngest child will have to wait for a nursery place, similar to many children in that age group. The mayor's children will not all have a daycare or nursery place by September 2018, and they are currently managing with a day mother until a nursery place becomes available.
The director of the affected daycare center has assured Mayor Boch of this equal treatment. The person responsible for the expansion of daycare centers in Pforzheim is not explicitly named in the available search results. However, the city's department managing Kindertageseinrichtungen (daycare centers) oversees 32 facilities with nearly 1,800 places, implying responsibility lies with municipal leadership in that department or their deputies.
Mayor Boch's son is currently in the same daycare center as his daughter due to the sibling rule. The daycare center's points system awards higher points to children who have an older sibling in the center. Mayor Boch's administration aims to create 1320 new spots for children under and over three years old by 2020, with 60 spots this year, 390 next year, and 870 spots in 2020.
Mayor Boch offered close cooperation with SPD on the topic of daycare places shortly after taking office. While there are areas of agreement between SPD and the Mayor on the topic of daycare places, they politically disagree on other issues. Mayor Boch believes they agreed to conduct the debate about daycare places fairly and fact-based, but he was wrong about the latter.
In response to the allegations, Mayor Boch also plans to expand the existing school-age childcare offerings to meet the demand by the 2018/19 school year. He urges a return to the political level to find solutions for the city's pressing problems and discourages mud-slinging.
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