Ombudsman condemns Langen fines for childcare lapses

Vorarlberg’s state ombudsman has described as an administrative failing a policy in the municipality of Langen near Bregenz that charges parents for unexcused absences and late pickups at childcare facilities, ORF reports.

Parents are charged 10 euros for each morning their child stays home without a medical excuse despite being registered for care. Late pickups incur an additional fee of 10 euros for every started 15-minute period.

Ombudsman Klaus Feurstein said the policy discriminates against parents. Municipalities have a legal obligation to provide childcare, he said, while parents depend on holiday childcare. The additional charges therefore amount to arbitrary disadvantage imposed by the municipality or its mayor.

Feurstein has recommended that affected parents do not pay the fee in future. The legal situation is complex because the municipality has classified the charges as part of its private-law administration. The fees are not collected under a regulation but demanded contractually from parents.

Any dispute over payment would therefore have to be pursued through the civil courts by the parents or the municipality. Feurstein said it was highly unlikely that the municipality would bring a court case over a few euros.

The municipality has charged the fees since the 2025-26 school year. Mayor Josef Kirchmann said there had been six late pickups during the entire childcare period since then, compared with four or five late pickups a week before the policy was introduced. The charges had been paid promptly without objection, he said.

There had also been a reduction in unexcused absences. Since the fee was introduced, one child failed to attend holiday childcare despite being registered. Around 70 children have used the childcare and kindergarten services in recent years.

In 2026, Langen received about 420,000 euros from the state of Vorarlberg for childcare, while parents also pay contributions for holiday care. The municipality has collected 70 euros in late-pickup and absence fees so far.

Feurstein said the charges put pressure on parents and guardians. He noted that it could be difficult to plan childcare needs precisely months in advance because of irregular work schedules, traffic jams or short-notice changes in family circumstances.