Does Your Frankfurt School's Afternoon Care Actually Stay Open All Summer? It Depends on One Name
Whether your child's school-based afternoon care actually stays open during Frankfurt's school holidays depends heavily on one thing: whether your specific elementary school participates in Hessen's own all-day program, currently called Pakt fuer den Ganztag. That name matters, older school materials and some parent forums still call the same program Pakt fuer den Nachmittag, since it was renamed in December 2022, it is the same program under a new name, not two different things. Schools that participate offer reliable, voluntary education and care five days a week from 7:30 AM to 5 PM, including during school holidays, with families choosing between a shorter module (until roughly 2:30 or 3 PM) and a longer one running to 5 PM with optional holiday coverage. The state covers its share for the five-day, until-2:30-PM portion, while the Schultraeger, the City of Frankfurt in its role as school sponsor, covers the afternoon extension and holiday periods. Traditional standalone Hort facilities or school-based care outside the Pakt fuer den Ganztag system work differently and commonly still close for real stretches, several weeks in summer and around two weeks over the winter break are typical, though the exact calendar is set facility by facility. A genuine federal legal right to all-day elementary care that does include holidays is phasing in nationwide, including in Hessen, starting with first grade in the 2026/2027 school year and expanding one grade a year through 2029/2030, with states allowed a closure exception of up to 4 weeks.
The Official Rule
A genuine naming trap sits at the center of this question, and clearing it up first saves a lot of confusion. Hessen鈥檚 own all-day elementary school program is currently called Pakt fuer den Ganztag, but it ran under the name Pakt fuer den Nachmittag until December 2022, when it was renamed. Plenty of school materials, parent forum threads, and even some official documents published before the switch still use the older name. If you encounter either term in Frankfurt, treat it as the same program, not two separate arrangements.
Schools participating in Pakt fuer den Ganztag genuinely do stay open during school holidays, not just term time. Per the Hessisches Kultusministerium鈥檚 own guidance, participating elementary schools and elementary levels of special-needs schools offer a reliable, voluntary education and care service five days a week from 7:30 AM to 5 PM, and this coverage extends through the holidays rather than pausing for them. Families choose between at least two time modules: a shorter one ending around 2:30 or 3 PM, and a longer one running to 5 PM, with holiday coverage available as an option within that structure.
| Time period | Who covers the cost |
|---|---|
| Five days a week, until roughly 2:30 PM | The state (Land Hessen) |
| Afternoon extension (2:30 PM to 5 PM) and school holidays | The Schultraeger, the City of Frankfurt for most public elementary schools |
Not every Frankfurt elementary school participates in Pakt fuer den Ganztag, and traditional standalone Hort or school-based care outside that system works on a genuinely different basis. These facilities commonly still close for real stretches: several weeks during the summer break and around two weeks over the winter holidays are typical patterns, though the specific closure weeks are set facility by facility rather than following one citywide calendar. A school or Hort鈥檚 renaming from Pakt fuer den Nachmittag was accompanied by clarification that the program is still not the same thing as a full Ganztagsschule (all-day school) model, an important distinction if you鈥檙e comparing options across Hessen or from a different German state.
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Real, if gradual, change is coming nationwide, including in Hessen. Germany鈥檚 Ganztagsfoerderungsgesetz (GaFoeG) creates a genuine legal entitlement to all-day elementary education and care, including through school holidays, with individual states allowed to set their own closure exception of up to 4 weeks. The catch worth knowing upfront: this right starts with first-graders in the 2026/2027 school year and expands by one additional grade level each year, reaching all four elementary grades only by 2029/2030. If your child is already past first grade when this starts, today鈥檚 split, Pakt fuer den Ganztag participation on one side, a traditional Hort鈥檚 own closure calendar on the other, remains the practical reality for a while longer.
What Real People Say
Frankfurt parents comparing school-based care options describe the Pakt fuer den Ganztag naming change as a genuine source of confusion specifically for newcomers, since a school鈥檚 own enrollment paperwork, an older sibling鈥檚 experience, or even a well-meaning acquaintance鈥檚 advice can reference the previous name without flagging that it鈥檚 the same program. The practical lesson that comes up repeatedly is treating the specific school鈥檚 own current holiday calendar as the only reliable source, rather than assuming based on the name used in whatever document happened to be at hand.
Families whose children attend a traditional standalone Hort outside the Pakt system describe the summer stretch as the hardest part of the year to plan around, echoing a pattern seen in other German cities: without dedicated Ferienbetreuung, Ferienfreizeiten, or family-to-family coverage swaps, several consecutive closed weeks can be a genuine logistical strain, especially for dual-working households without nearby family support.
Step by Step
- Ask your specific school directly whether it participates in Pakt fuer den Ganztag (it may be listed under either name), and which time modules it offers.
- If your school participates, confirm whether holiday coverage applies to your chosen time module, since the shorter and longer modules can differ.
- If your school doesn鈥檛 participate, or your child attends a standalone Hort, get that facility鈥檚 actual written closure calendar, don鈥檛 assume it matches a participating school鈥檚 holiday coverage.
- For any real summer gap, look into dedicated Ferienbetreuung, English-language camps, or multi-day Ferienfreizeiten, covered in our companion guides, rather than treating the closure weeks as unsolvable.
- If your child is starting first grade for the 2026/2027 school year, ask specifically about the new GaFoeG all-day right and how Frankfurt鈥檚 local rollout will work in practice.
Compliance Note
This page explains the general structure of Pakt fuer den Ganztag and typical Hort closure patterns in Frankfurt, but it is not legal advice, and a specific school鈥檚 or Hort鈥檚 holiday calendar and program participation can only be confirmed directly with that school or facility.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Our school mentioned 'Pakt fuer den Nachmittag' at enrollment. Is that a different, older program from what's running now?
No, it's the same program, just renamed. Hessen's all-day school program was called Pakt fuer den Nachmittag until December 2022, when it was renamed Pakt fuer den Ganztag. Some older school documents, forum threads, and even a few official press releases published before the rename still use the original name. If you see either term, treat it as referring to the same underlying program rather than assuming your school is on some different or outdated arrangement.
How do we actually find out whether our specific school participates?
Ask your school directly whether it's part of Pakt fuer den Ganztag (or Pakt fuer den Nachmittag, the older name) and, if so, which time modules it offers, the shorter one to roughly 2:30 or 3 PM, or the longer one to 5 PM with holiday coverage. Participation and the exact modules offered vary school to school, so don't assume based on a neighboring school or what a friend's child experiences elsewhere in the city.
If our school isn't in Pakt fuer den Ganztag, what should we actually expect during the summer?
Plan for real closure weeks rather than assuming continuous coverage. Traditional standalone Hort facilities and school-based care outside the Pakt system commonly close for several weeks during the summer break and around two weeks over the winter holidays, though the specific weeks are set by each individual facility rather than one citywide calendar. Ask your own Hort or care provider directly, in writing, for its actual closure calendar rather than assuming it matches a participating school's holiday coverage.
Who actually pays for the afternoon and holiday portions of Pakt fuer den Ganztag?
The funding is split by time period. The state (Land Hessen) covers its share for the core, five-day-a-week service running until roughly 2:30 PM. The Schultraeger, which for most Frankfurt public elementary schools is the City of Frankfurt itself in its role as school sponsor, covers the cost of the later afternoon extension (up to 5 PM) and holiday-period coverage. This split matters mainly for understanding why the program's funding and hours can look different depending on which layer of government is responsible for which part of the day.
Does the new federal all-day care right (GaFoeG) mean every Frankfurt school will offer holiday care soon?
Eventually, but not all at once, and not immediately for every grade. The Ganztagsfoerderungsgesetz creates a genuine nationwide legal entitlement to all-day elementary education and care, including through school holidays, with states allowed to set their own closure exception of up to 4 weeks. It starts with first-graders in the 2026/2027 school year and expands by one additional grade level each year, reaching all four elementary grades only by 2029/2030. If your child is already past first grade when this starts, today's patchwork, Pakt fuer den Ganztag participation versus a traditional Hort's own closure calendar, remains the practical reality for a while longer.