Childcare as a corporate benefit – the digital platform from heynanny
Childcare is one of the biggest challenges facing the economy. A comprehensive digital solution is offered by the platform from heynanny.
In autumn 2023 we reported here on heynanny, a digital platform that makes childcare bookable as a corporate benefit. The question at the time: Can a startup really defuse the persistent problem of the childcare gap? Two years later, the answer is clear. In 2025, heynanny has become heycare, the platform now covers far more than just nannies, and corporations like SAP and Allianz are using it. Here’s what’s behind the model and why it works.
- heynanny launched in 2021 in Munich with verified childcare professionals as an employee benefit, bookable nationwide.
- Parents save up to €4,000 per child per year in tax, while employers can contribute up to €1,400 per employee tax-free.
- Booking, insurance and first-aid training are handled via an app, available around the clock.
- Since April 2025, the offering has operated under the name heycare and now bundles childcare, eldercare, mental health and household help.
- In 2024, the childcare rate for under-threes nationwide was 37.4 percent – the core problem remains very real.
What do companies offer their employees beyond salary? This question increasingly determines which candidates apply for jobs and how long they stay. Strong corporate benefits shift workplace culture noticeably and strengthen loyalty to the employer. Above all, younger employees today expect solutions that genuinely ease their daily lives. Childcare is at the top of that list.
The need is hard to ignore. In 2024, the childcare rate for under-threes in Germany stood at 37.4 percent nationwide, with a stark east-west divide: 33.9 percent in the west versus 55.2 percent in the east. At the same time, the employment rate for mothers with children under three is around 54 percent, significantly lower than for mothers with older children. When reliable childcare isn’t available, parents cut hours, take leave or quit. For companies, that means losing experienced staff – often precisely the people they want to keep.
More flexibility for working parents
This is where heynanny comes in. Founded in Munich in 2021 by Julia Kahle and Anna Schneider, the startup built a platform that gives employers access to more than 20,000 verified and vetted childcare providers. Every nanny undergoes an ID check, reference verification and an enhanced criminal record check before being approved. Parents can book regular care or fill short-term gaps-whether the daycare centre is on strike or their child is ill-depending on the model they choose.
The real appeal is reliability. Instead of scrambling for help in their personal network, parents consult a curated list knowing each person has been professionally vetted. That cuts the organisational stress that often starts at the kitchen table at six o’clock in the morning.
The real leverage isn’t the nanny herself; it’s the certainty that, in an emergency, you can secure vetted care within hours.
How the platform works
heynanny digitises the entire workflow: create a profile, select a suitable carer, make contact, schedule appointments, invoice and pay. Bookings are possible around the clock; support runs via email or WhatsApp. Every session booked through the platform is insured, whether it takes place at home or on the way from daycare. In addition, carers are trained in paediatric first aid through a partnership with the Johanniter Accident Assistance.
The financial side is often the underestimated advantage. Parents can claim up to €4,000 per child per year in tax-deductible childcare expenses-provided they pay by bank transfer and keep the receipt, which is standard on the platform. Employers, in turn, can contribute up to €1,400 per employee per year tax-free through voluntary allowances. What starts as a feel-good benefit becomes a quantifiable line item for both sides.
What became of heynanny
The most exciting development came after our first report. In April 2025, heynanny evolved into the heycare brand. The reason? Pure childcare was only the entry point. Today the platform bundles multiple care modules-childcare, eldercare for family caregivers, mental-health offerings, household help and even pet care. Major employers such as SAP, Allianz and Daimler Truck use the platform to support their workforce across the entire life spectrum.
This confirms what was still a hypothesis in 2023: care as a benefit is no niche topic, but a field where corporations can measurably strengthen employee loyalty. For HR decision-makers the lesson is clear: if you want to retain talent, don’t treat care as a perk-integrate it into your compensation logic.
Want to dive deeper into the model and see concrete use cases? Here you’ll find the free info paper.
Quick Answers
▸Is heynanny still around?
The heynanny brand was renamed heycare in April 2025. The platform continues to operate, but now covers childcare, eldercare, mental health, household help and pet care.
▸How much tax relief does it actually provide?
Parents can save up to €4,000 per child per year by deducting childcare costs. Employers can additionally contribute up to €1,400 per employee per year tax-free, provided the conditions are met.
▸Are the carers insured and vetted?
Yes. Every carer undergoes ID verification, reference checks and an enhanced criminal record check before approval. Bookings through the platform are insured, and carers are trained in paediatric first aid via a partnership with the Johanniter Accident Assistance.
More from our //LIVING world: read our pieces on calm Scandinavian-style living spaces and forest bathing as a counterbalance to daily life.
