The educational institutions marked in the graph are dealt with in the text

Overview

Historically seen child care policy in Austria was more family-oriented than education-oriented but a change process to a more and more education-oriented approach is constantly taking place.


Fiscal measures within the framework of family policy such as granting child support are federal responsibility (Austrian Family Support Act) while legislation and implementation in the area of child care outside the family before the beginning of compulsory schooling are exclusively within the authority of the federal provinces (Bundesländer).



At federal level two ministries are responsible for designing ECEC policies:

• The Austrian Federal Ministry of Education is responsible for
  • the training of ECEC teachers.
  • It promotes the educational character of early childhood education.

Increasing equality of opportunities and improving early language development are educational objectives in order to better prepare all children for the demands of school. These objectives have been affirmed by the introduction of a compulsory kindergarten year free of charge for all children before they reach statutory school age.

• The Austrian Federal Ministry for Family and Youth is responsible for
  • youth welfare laws,
  • policies for child-minders,
  • family allowances and child care benefits.

In line with the Barcelona objective of the European Union, the Federal Government and the federal provinces agreed to promote the availability of child care facilities.

• Provincial governments have full responsibility for
  • the organisation,
  • regulation and
  • funding of ECEC services.

Services

Centre-based services are

• crèches for children under 3 years,
• kindergartens for children aged 3-6 years,
• mixed-age groups - mostly situated at kindergartens for children from 1 to 6 years.

Non-centre-based services are parent-toddler groups (elternverwaltete Kindergruppen) run by parent associations and family day care (Tageseltern).

The legal basis for day care facility providers is provided by the Youth Welfare Act - as amended and the individual Kindergarten Acts of the federal provinces - as amended with the respective implementation regulations.



The providers of child care establishments in Austria are the

• municipalities,
• associations,
• religiously-affiliated providers
• and – to a small extent – companies.

Extension initiative

To reach the EU Benchmark (IP/11/488) of having at least a 95% participation rate of children between age four and the start of compulsory education, the Federal Government has initiated extension programmes with financial support for the provinces and the municipalities. These initiatives have led to an increase in places, as well as to lengthened opening hours in the afternoons and during holidays. Austria has already exceeded the Barcelona target for 3-6 year olds.

Mandatory advising session for parents

In addition to the compulsory pre-school year for 5-year-old children, starting in the 2016/17 school year there will be a mandatory advising session for parents whose 4-year-old children are not yet in kindergarten.

Obligatory and free kindergarten for 5 year olds

In September 2010 obligatory kindergarten attendance for 16 to 20 hours (half day) over a minimum of at least 4 days per week was introduced for 5 year olds (i.e. children one year before school entry) according to an agreement pursuant to Art. 15a of the Federal Constitutional Law. To ensure the attendance at kindergarten for all 5 year old children as well as to reduce the financial burden for parents, the Federal Government concluded a legal agreement with the provinces (Federal Law Gazette II no. 478/2008) in 2008. As a result, parents have not had to pay fees for half-day ECEC (20 hours per week) since September 2009. This initiative is financially supported by the Federal Government with € 70 million per year to reimburse the increase in costs for the provinces and the municipalities.



Some provinces additionally offer additional free child care for certain age groups.

Sources

• Statistics Austria, Kindergartens and After-School Child Care
• Administration in Austria: Basics
• Charlotte Bühler Institut
• Child care texts
• Language Support in ECEC

Legislation

• Federal Constitutional Law - as amended
• Youth Welfare Act - as amended
• Provincial Kindergarten Education Acts (of the 9 provinces) - as amended