Haredi Daycares Took Assistants' Money, Now Ask Not to Be Deducted

An Education Ministry audit found that dozens of supervised Haredi daycares did not pass on to assistants grants received from the state, instead keeping the funds. The state now demands to deduct millions of shekels from the daycares' budgets, but ministry director general Meir Shimoni asks to waive the deduction for fear of collapse. The agreement was signed in August 2023, including retention grants up to 600 shekels and an annual grant of 1,000 shekels.

An audit by the Ministry of Education revealed that dozens of supervised Haredi daycares did not pay assistants the grant they received from the state, and took the money for themselves. This was reported this evening (Wednesday) on the Kan News broadcast. The state now demands to deduct millions of shekels from the budgets transferred to these daycares, but the Ministry of Education's director general, Meir Shimoni, asks the state to "waive" the deduction for fear that the daycares will collapse. The agreement with the assistants was signed in August 2023, under which they were to receive retention grants—up to 600 shekels for an assistant who did not miss work, and an annual grant of 1,000 shekels for an assistant who missed up to ten sick days cumulatively. The money, which the state transferred to the daycares, did not reach the assistants in these daycares. The Ministry of Education stated: "The director general's request was made in full coordination with the professional factors in the ministry, and was intended to promote a framework that would prevent real harm to the continuity of the daycare system's operation on the eve of the school year."