New challenges in health promotion in daycare centers after the pandemic-focus on the health of educational staff

Background. The public health relevance of daycare centers for children (early childhood education and care, ECEC centers) has increased significantly in recent years due to legal requirements. The setting approach to health promotion in daycare centers plays an important role in focusing on the health and wellbeing of children, parents, professionals, and managers from a systemic perspective. Often, however, the activities are limited to children; in few cases they address their families and even less often are professionals taken into account, although they have been under great strain not only since the pandemic.Objective. This article aims to raise awareness of the health situation of professionals and at the same time show which health promotion and prevention measures are necessary to strengthen and maintain health and wellbeing.Methods. This article is based on a preliminary stocktaking of the early education system and derives short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations for action for human resource managers and actors in the health care system.Results. The tense staff and work situation in many daycare centers, which had already existed for years, was exacerbated during the pandemic and accompanied by significant health restrictions for staff, which continue to this day.Conclusion. In order to keep professional ECEC center and managerial staff healthy and able to work in the long term, daycare providers are increasingly required to fulfil their duty of care and to address strengthening of health promotion and prevention. To this end, it is necessary to cooperate more closely than before with the health and accident insurance funds as well as with other groups of actors in the health care system.