DaKS – Umbrella Association of Berlin Children's & Student Stores | Berlin & Info

The Umbrella Association of Berlin Children's and Student Stores (DaKS) e.V. is the central point of contact for small, self-managed educational institutions in Berlin. Since 1986, the association has supported children's stores, daycares, after-school programs, and free alternative schools with practical expert advice, a wide-ranging training program, a billing service for wages and finances, as well as an engaged representation of members. In the office located at Crellestraße 19/20 in Berlin-Schöneberg, consulting, service, and advocacy come together. DaKS consolidates the concerns of a large network of more than 1,000 institutions, managed by over 700 sponsors, representing around 35,000 childcare places in Berlin. Those seeking reliable information, specific contacts, and support for everyday life in daycare and after-school care will find orientation and assistance from a single source: from clarifying legal foundations to financing issues and quality development. The short distances in the neighborhood, clear phone hours, and dedicated contact points make the association easily accessible – for boards, educational teams, and parents alike.

What is DaKS? Tasks, Members, and Special Features in Berlin

DaKS sees itself as the voice of small, self-managed educational institutions run by parents and educators in Berlin. The idea emerged in the mid-1980s when 16 children's stores joined forces to represent their concerns more effectively to politics and administration. This initiative developed into an association that has steadily grown to this day. Currently, DaKS has more than 700 sponsors under whose umbrella more than 1,000 daycares, children's stores, after-school programs, and free alternative schools operate. Together, they provide about 35,000 places – an impressive testament to the contribution members make to the Berlin educational landscape. The association consolidates information and prepares it for practical use: whether it concerns staff ratios, financing, data protection, quality, or collaboration with parents – the thematic focuses reflect the real questions in institutions. Additionally, service offerings such as templates and samples for everyday daycare operations, regular updates on legal changes, and specialized consulting services for central topics like child protection, integration, organization, and structure are provided. A special feature is the consistent focus on self-management: many boards work voluntarily, take responsibility for personnel and budgets, and need solid support for this. This is where DaKS steps in, channeling information, providing decision-making aids, and mediating in conflicts. The structure is transparent: there is a member representation, expert consulting teams, a billing service, and the area of language daycares. All areas work self-managed and are accompanied by a voluntary board. The association is funded through membership fees and fees for consulting and accounting contracts; training and the sale of practical publications contribute to financing on a smaller scale. As a network partner, DaKS is also active in nationwide associations, strengthening professional political exchange. The consolidation of practical knowledge, proximity to the neighborhood, and the processed dissemination of current information ensure that members receive quick answers that are applicable in everyday life. Thus, DaKS becomes a stable companion: reliable, practice-oriented, and clearly reachable when it matters.

Address, Contact, and Directions to the Office on Crellestraße

The central point of contact for DaKS is located at Crellestraße 19/20, 10827 Berlin, in the Schöneberg Crellekiez. Those seeking contact by phone can reach the member representation and general expert consulting at 030 7009 425-10, and the billing service for wages and finances at -20. To facilitate accessibility, phone hours are clearly defined: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 AM to 3 PM, Thursdays from 3 PM to 6 PM, and Fridays from 10 AM to 2 PM. Additionally, there is legal advice for members on Monday afternoons, reachable via a dedicated number. The association also includes the area of language daycares, which is organizationally connected to the location at Langenscheidtstraße 9, 10827 Berlin; the consultation hours there are coordinated by appointment. For those arriving by public transport, the best options are the S-Bahn line S1 to Julius-Leber-Brücke or the U7 to Kleistpark. Both stations are within walking distance to Crellestraße; several bus lines serve the immediate vicinity and connect the neighborhood with the northern and southern city centers. For visitors arriving by car, the approach via Hauptstraße is recommended; parking is generally possible in the neighborhood depending on the time of day, but free spaces are particularly limited on weekdays. A short walk through the established side streets of the Crellekiez leads to house number 19/20, where a map for orientation is usually also available. Those wishing to submit documents in person should clarify this by phone in advance during phone hours. The clear contact paths make the entry easy: Emails to the general address of DaKS or directly to the expert consulting are usually answered promptly, and more complex concerns can be discussed by appointment either on-site or online. This keeps the office close to the needs of the institutions – accessible, approachable, and with an eye for practical solutions.

Becoming a Member of DaKS e.V.: Benefits, Requirements, and Process

Providers of children's and student stores, after-school programs, and free alternative schools in Berlin can become members of DaKS. The association is aimed at small, self-managed institutions where parents and educational teams share responsibility and make decisions together. Joining the network opens access to tested materials, up-to-date information, and a confidential consulting environment. Specific benefits include: political representation towards administration and politics, regular information on financing, personnel, and organization, a comprehensive training offer with discounted conditions for institutions with consulting contracts, practical templates and information sheets, as well as access to the marketplace with job listings, available places, startup exchanges, and other formats for exchange. The admission process is straightforward: interested providers can register online or by phone, receive information on membership fees and contacts, and are supported in starting to use the association's offerings. It is important to clearly distinguish between membership and additional contracts: Membership secures representation of interests and access to information; for continuous expert consulting, institutions additionally conclude a consulting contract under transparent conditions. DaKS primarily finances itself through the contributions of its members and the fees from consulting and accounting contracts, allowing services to be provided independently of individual large grants. In practice, becoming a member mainly means no longer standing alone in the face of complex questions: whether tariff issues, personnel recruitment, budget planning, data protection, internal and external evaluation, cooperation with the youth welfare office, or conflict moderation – the association's areas meet the institutions where their urgent topics lie. Newly established stores and schools particularly benefit from the transfer of knowledge regarding sponsor structure, statutes, committee work, financing, and the design of educational concepts. Experienced sponsors use the association to update processes, review legal changes, and maintain the quality of work within the team. Thus, membership becomes an investment in stability and quality – with measurable benefits in everyday life.

Training and Consulting for Children's Stores, After-School Programs, and Free Schools

Training is a core component of DaKS's work. It complements expert consulting, enables collegial exchange, and provides teams and boards with current impulses for practice. The offerings are aimed at members, with institutions holding consulting contracts benefiting from reduced participation fees. The formats are clearly structured: one- to three-day seminars for educators deepen practical topics from dealing with challenging situations to implementing the educational program. Educational theme evenings last about three hours and combine professional inputs with exchange between parents and professionals – ideal for bringing perspectives together and making practical agreements. Information evenings primarily address boards and cover finances, organization, communication with authorities, and legal frameworks. This is supplemented by recurring expert exchange rounds, where interested parties stay informed about integration, inclusion, or other focal points. The topics reflect the questions of the members: child protection and protection concepts, language education and observation, team culture and leadership tasks, internal evaluation, parent cooperation, diversity and anti-discrimination, personnel development, lateral entry, labor law in everyday life, financing, and controlling. Orientation is provided by a thematic sorting of the program; additionally, a filter function by event type and keyword is available. Participation information clarifies registration paths, deadlines, data protection, and costs transparently, allowing institutions to plan well. The interlinking of expert consulting and training has a significant advantage: content can be tailored to the respective teams, open questions from consulting can be deepened in seminars, and conversely, practical examples from training flow back into consulting. In this way, a cycle of knowledge, application, and reflection is created that noticeably strengthens quality in the institutions. For new institutions, this package is a gateway to professionalization; for established teams, it offers space to review routines, set new impulses, and securely anchor legal or organizational innovations.

Billing Service and Expert Consulting: Wages, Finances, Law, and Child Protection

Many children's stores and schools, as self-managed sponsors, are responsible for personnel, wages, contributions, and accounting – tasks that require high accuracy alongside everyday educational work. The billing service of DaKS relieves members of this work while ensuring quality and traceability. In payroll accounting, the team prepares monthly statements, prepares certificates and reports, monitors payment deadlines, and accompanies audits by the pension insurance. In financial accounting, business transactions are recorded, evaluations are created, and sponsors are supported in applying for or extending non-profit status. Practical tips facilitate board changes in cash and wages, ensuring responsibilities are well documented and handed over. Dedicated phone hours and a dedicated service email are available for questions. In parallel, the association offers a broad-based expert consulting service. It is aimed at boards, educational professionals, and parents – confidential, solution-oriented, and closely intertwined with member representation. Consulting covers, for example, the design of child-friendly spaces, age mixing and group composition, acclimatization, inclusion and diversity, language education, conception, and team culture. At the management level, it concerns task distribution, decision-making processes, duty rosters, closing times, personnel recruitment, and onboarding. A focus is on child protection: sponsor responsibility, procedures according to Section 8a SGB VIII, protection concepts, and clear processes are addressed; experienced professionals are available for this purpose. For continuous use, institutions conclude a consulting contract, with contributions based on size. Example contributions per child per month are €3.33 for daycares, €1.14 for after-school programs in their own premises, €0.57 for after-school programs in school premises, and €0.94 per elementary school child for free schools; a moderate adjustment occurs regularly. This transparent framework makes consulting services predictable and ensures that institutions can focus on educational work. The service package is rounded off by informational materials, calculation aids for financing, practical forms and templates, and a marketplace with job offers, requests, and a startup exchange. Thus, the association provides an infrastructure that relieves voluntary boards, strengthens teams, and reliably secures quality.

History of DaKS and the Children's Store Movement in Berlin

The founding of DaKS in 1986 coincided with a phase in which parent and educator initiatives in Berlin were increasingly professionalizing and seeking a common representation. Children's stores have a long history in Germany, dating back to the late 1960s. In Berlin, the idea was particularly supported by student and emancipatory movements that tested new forms of care, education, and participation. The consolidation in the umbrella association helped stabilize these established structures and bridge the gap between practice and administration. Over the years, members have done tremendous foundational work: they developed concepts for small, neighborhood-based institutions where parents and teams cooperate closely, share responsibility, and make decisions together. DaKS accompanied this development both technically and politically. The guiding principles and statutes still articulate the principles of self-management, transparency, and quality today. In the 2010s, additional tasks were added, such as the technical support of language daycares, initially funded through a federal program and later by the state of Berlin. This involved everyday integrated language education, collaboration with families, inclusion, and digitization – central themes that hold particular significance in many small institutions. The association regularly publishes reports that transparently outline developments in financing and personnel needs, and provides calculation aids and interpretations regarding Berlin daycare financing. In 2026, DaKS will celebrate its 40th anniversary – an occasion to publicly highlight the engagement of its members. With the Children's Store FEST in the neighborhood, the association consciously opts for decentralized celebrations that showcase how closely the institutions work with families and neighborhoods. This anniversary also underscores the importance of reliable networks for a diverse educational landscape. The association acts as a catalyst here: it makes practical experiences accessible, sets impulses for quality development, and strengthens self-management as a viable organizational model. Those who today join a children's store, after-school program, or free school, or plan a new establishment, will find in DaKS contacts with extensive experience, tested materials, and a clear framework to transform good ideas into lasting structures.

Sources:

• DaKS – Official Website
• The DaKS – Tasks, Members, and Numbers
• Transparency – Address, Year of Foundation, Structure
• Contact – Address, Phone Hours, Language Daycare Area
• Training – Formats, Notes, and Topics
• Billing Service – Payroll and Financial Accounting
• Expert Consulting – Consulting Topics and Contributions
• Children's Store FEST in the Neighborhood – Anniversary Format
• LEI Register – Umbrella Association of Berlin Children's and Student Stores e.V.
• Arrival in the Neighborhood – Near S Julius-Leber-Brücke and U7 Kleistpark