Early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Portugal is divided into two phases, with different provision for younger (under three years old) and older children (three  years old to starting compulsory education). Provision for children under three has a focus on childcare while pre-primary education (designed for older children) is legally considered the first stage of basic education in the lifelong education process (ISCED 020).

Despite of this focus on childcare, ECEC programmes for children under three meet the criteria and objectives of the ISCED 010, emphasised in the ISCED 2011 classification (although data on ECEC for children under three years of age are not yet included in the National Statistical System and INE/Eurostat do not include this information).

Traditionally, Portugal has had a system of early childhood education and care (ECEC) divided between the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) and the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security (MTSSS). With the publication of Decree-Law No. 105/2025, 12 September, the MECI became responsible for the pedagogical and didactic aspects of education for children aged 0 to 6. The two ministries
now work in close collaboration to improve the quality of EAPI, which is regarded both as a right of children and families and as a key factor
for equity and quality in children’s lives. Curriculum development, enrichment activities and pedagogical guidance are coordinated across the entire age group from 0 to 6 years.

Early childhood education and care for children under the age of 3 

The ECEC programme for children under 3 years of age falls under the technical supervision of the MTSSS, which is responsible for monitoring the organisation and operation of these facilities. The educational guidelines are defined in conjunction with the MECI. The provision of EAPI for children under 3 years of age is mainly provided by private non-profit organisations like private social solidarity institutions (instituições particulares de solidariedade social - IPSS) or legally equivalent institutions, with cooperation agreements with the MTSSS, and by private for-profit bodies with operating licenses approved by this ministry. Socio-educational provision geared towards children under three years old is made up of:

• Crèches – socio-educational provision (Ordinance No 262/2011, 31 August, in its current wording), that cares for children up to the age of three, while parents or the person who has custody is unable to look after them.
• Childminders - a social service (Decree-Law No 115/2015, 22 June) provided by a person duly licensed by the Institute for Social Security, I.P. (Instituto da Segurança Social, I. P. – ISS, I.P.), who is paid to take care of children up to three years of age at their place of residence, during the period of time when family or legal guardians cannot take care of them.
• Family crèche - social provision (Ordinance No 232/2015, 6 August) that consists of a group of no fewer than four childminders, who work within an institution like Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa or in private social solidarity institutions (IPSS) or legally equivalent institutions. These places are designed to care for children aged up to three years old, during the period of time when family or legal guardians cannot take care of them.

Number of early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings for children under three years of age, by legal status and type – Mainland (2023)

Source: Gabinete de Estratégia e Planeamento (GEP-MTSSS), Social Charter.

Attendance at crèches is optional, although there has been an increase in the take-up rate for these facilities. A set of priority criteria has been established for the allocation of available places (as set out in the annex to Ministerial Order No. 198/2022, 27 July).

Coverage rate and participation in ECEC for children under 3 years of age, Mainland (2015–2023)

  Coverage rate (in %)  

Participation rate (in %) as reference to population 0<3

Source: Gabinete de Estratégia e Planeamento (GEP-MTSSS), Social Charter.

The pedagogical guidelines for crèche, approved in 2024 by the MECI and the MTSSS, are the document that guides the pedagogical practice of early years educators working in crèches, in consultation with the educational teams, the management, the families, various professionals and policy-makers, whose coordinated efforts provide quality education and care for children up to the age of three.

Early childhood education and care for children aged 3 to 6 (pre-school education)

In Portugal, pre-primary education covers children from three years old to the age of compulsory schooling (six years old) and is the first stage of basic education in the lifelong education process (Law No 5/97, 10 February).
Pre-primary education is divided into a national network made up of a public and a private network, where the former includes school clusters (organisational units made up of schools that provide basic and upper secondary education) and the latter includes for-profit schools (private and cooperative education establishments) and not-for-profit (private institutions of social solidarity, charities and mutual societies). 

Educational establishments by nature and type with ISCED 0 educational provision (pre-school education)  – Mainland (2025)

Source: DGEEC - Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics (2025).  Notes: The table only includes statistical information collected for the annual school census (kindergartens and public and private educational establishments under the pedagogical supervision of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation). Typologies according to Decree-Law 299/2007, 22 August.

The MECI is responsible for ensuring pedagogical quality within the ECEC network for pre-primary education. Technical supervision is the joint responsibility of the the MECI and the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security (MTSSS), which consists of monitoring the organisation and operation of pre-primary education institutions.

Pre-primary education is optional, with a free of charge teaching component of 25 hours a week for all children from the age of four (Law No 65/2015, 3 July). For the State, this universal provision implies ensuring a pre-school education network that allows the enrolment of all eligible children and that attending the teaching component is free of charge.

Law No 22/2025, 4 March, establishes the universal nature of pre-school education for children from the age of three, amending Law No 85/2009, 27 August.

Pre-school enrolment rate, by age, in Portugal (2000/01 – 2023/24)

Source: Educação em Números - Portugal 2025, DGEEC - Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics (2026). 

In relation to the availability of pedagogical guidelines, the Curriculum Guidelines for Pre-School Education (OCEPE) is the legal document that offers orientation regarding the design and management of pre-primary curriculum. This is the responsibility of each pre-primary teacher, undertaken in conjunction with the institution/school cluster’s teaching team, considering the characteristics of the children and the context. Although the Education Act and the Pre-Primary Education Framework Law only include pre-primary education for children at age three and over and do not cover crèche it is assumed that there is pedagogical consistency for childhood, that professional work with pre-school children has common foundations and is guided by the same principles.

The OCEPE takes this perspective, defining the foundations and principles of pedagogy in childhood education and care, common in education up to the age of 6, which are also explained in the Pedagogical Guidelines for Creches, a guiding document for the development of pedagogical activity in creches. For more information on this subject, see Subchapter 3.3 Educational guidelines.

For a comparative perspective at European level read the Eurydice report Key data on early childhood education and care in Europe - 2025 or check the infographic which depicts the main findings of the report. Consult our visuals on the European system-level indicators on early childhood education and care.