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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
National reforms in early childhood education and care

Austria

14.Ongoing reforms and policy developments

14.1National reforms in early childhood education and care

Last update: 7 October 2022
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2022

Extension of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) (Ausbau der Kinderbetreuungseinrichtungen)

Regulation and legislative documents 

Status: Agreement concerning 2022/23-2026/27

Sources: 

Description:

The main focus of these expansion efforts is on child care offerings for children under 3 years of age, promoting qualified child-minder offerings, and extending opening times during the year. Childcare places for 3 to 6-year-olds will also be funded in order to close regional gaps in childcare.

Measures:

  • Expansion of elementary educational opportunities for children under three years of age

  • Maintaining the current one-year compulsory attendance in the last year before starting school

  • Improving the quality of education in elementary educational institutions
  • Intensification of early language support
  • Improve the quality and standardize the qualifications of professionals.

Objectives:

  • To strengthen elementary educational institutions in their role as the first educational institution in a child's life

  • Improving the compatibility of family and work and, in connection with this, gender equality

  • Providing needs-based, year-round, all-day care for children until they start school that at least meets the Barcelona targets (care rate of 33% for under-threes and at least 90% for three- to six-year-olds) and can be reconciled with full-time employment for parents.

  • Improving educational opportunities for children regardless of their socioeconomic background through preschool promotion

  • Increased early language support in suitable elementary educational institutions.

Expected impact:

Promote the availability of childcare facilities of good quality.

Amount of funding:

Annual federal budget: EUR 200 million, additional annual budget: EUR 63 million by the regions

Monitoring:

The respective regional governments are responsible for monitoring compliance with the statutory obligations and supervising the staff and materials used in public kindergartens (nursing schools), which includes, among other things, a kindergarten inspectorate.

Involved bodies: