Admission requirements and choice of ECEC setting

Childcare 

Childcare for babies and toddlers is accessible to all babies and toddlers from birth until they go to pre-primary school. In practice, most children switch to pre-primary school at the age of 2.5 years.

Pre-primary education

Entry date between 2.5 and 3 years
If the child is between 2.5 and 3 years old, they may enter pre-primary education in regular education on:

• The first school day after each school holiday: after the summer, autumn, Christmas, spring, and Easter holidays

• The first school day of February

• The first school day after Ascension Day

If the child turns 2.5 years old on an entry date, they may start school from that day. 
A school can choose to have:

• An entry class for toddlers between 2.5 and 3 years old

• A class for toddlers aged 2.5 and older

From 3 years old
Once a child turns 3, they are allowed to start pre-primary education on any school day.

Compulsory education for 5- and 6-year-old children

• 5-year-olds: Since the 2020-2021 school year, compulsory education in Belgium starts at age 5. These children must attend school for at least 290 half days per school year. 

• 6-year-olds: They are required to attend school every day, except in cases of justified absence.

Extended stay in pre-primary education
Children can attend pre-primary school until age 6, when primary education starts. Sometimes, a child is not yet ready to transition to primary education.

• A child who turns 6 before January 1 of the current school year can continue in regular pre-primary education for one more year.

• Children aged 7 and older are no longer eligible to attend regular pre-primary education.

In Flanders, the parents choose what institution their child attends. Some mainstream schools have limited capacity to accommodate all applicants. In such cases, a mainstream primary or secondary school (1A/1B) is required to implement an online registration system.  Mainstream schools that do not use an online registration system cannot refuse enrolment due to lack of space.

Registering means that parents or legal guardians, in advance, indicate through an online registration system which school or schools they wish to enrol their child in. They can also prioritise your preferred schools.

Schools in mainstream education that use an online registration system follow a common timeline. Some schools manage registrations individually, while others collaborate. Schools that collaborate use a single registration system.

Schools are required to give priority to certain pupils during enrolment. In some cases, these pupils may also be allowed to enrol earlier. Other priority rules are not mandatory. To determine which pupil can enrol, the school arranges them in a specific order. Schools organise the registered pupils based on certain criteria, which may include:

• Random selection

• School preference: the position of the school on the preference list

• Distance from home address and/or workplace: applicable only in primary education

Not every school asks for a parent's workplace address, and parents are not obliged to provide it. However, if a preferred school is closer to a parent's workplace, this may increase the child's chances of securing a place.

Group size and child/staff ratios

Childcare 

Group Childcare           
A group childcare setting is also known as a 'daycare centre' or 'nursery'. It is a larger childcare facility with multiple childcare workers. Each group may have a maximum of 18 children, with no more than 9 children per childcare worker. By 2027 at the latest, the number of children per childcare worker will be reduced. Group childcare is usually located in a separate building or a designated part of a larger building. Larger facilities are divided into smaller groups of up to 18 children.

A group childcare facility that looks after babies and toddlers must have a licence from the Growing Up-agency and meet certain requirements. 

Family Childcare          
Family childcare is a small-scale childcare setting, usually run by a single childminder. A maximum of 8 children can be present at a time, with an average target of 4 children per childminder. By 2027 at the latest, the number of children per childminder will be reduced. Family childcare is often provided in the childminder’s home.

Depending on the type of family childcare, parents either pay an income-based fee (determined by their income) or a fixed rate. A family childcare setting that looks after babies and toddlers must have a licence from the Growing Up-agency and meet certain requirements. 

Pre-primary education

Classification into groups is part of the freedom of school administration. In practice, pupils in pre-primary education are often grouped according to age, with children typically divided into classes for ages 2.5 to 3 years, 3 to 4 years, 4 to 5 years, and 5 to 6 years. Some pre-schools use a vertical distribution system for a short or continuous period, where different age groups are taught together. This usually happens when the number of pupils is too small to organise separate year groups. The decision regarding the maximum number of pupils per class also falls under the autonomy of the school board.

The minimum qualification level for the pre-primary teachers is the Bachelor’s level (ISCED 6[DCI(1] ). 

Annual, weekly and daily organisation

Childcare

The decree on the care of babies and toddlers (https://codex.vlaanderen.be/Portals/Codex/documenten/1021827.html) stipulates that childcare centres ensure regularity in the daily schedule with attention to each child's own rhythm and individuality.

Childcare centres for babies and toddlers with a licence, whether without a subsidy or with a basic subsidy, must be open for at least 220 days per calendar year. On these operating days, they are required to provide an uninterrupted opening time of at least 11 hours between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The decree further states that childcare centres must ensure regularity in the daily schedule while also paying attention to each child's individual rhythm and needs.

Pre-primary education

The school year starts on 1 September and ends on 31 August. 

Throughout the school year, there are five holiday periods:

• Autumn Half-Term: 1 week

• Christmas Holidays: 2 weeks

• Spring Half-Term (Carnival Break): 1 week

• Easter Holidays: 2 weeks

• Summer Holidays: 1 July – 31 August

In addition to school holidays, there are five recognised public holidays:

• 11 November (Armistice Day)

• Easter Monday

• 1 May (Labour Day)

• Ascension Day and the following day (Except in part-time arts education, where lessons continue the day after Ascension. In part-time arts and adult education, classes may also take place during the weekend following Ascension.)

• Whit Monday (Pentecost Monday)

Pupils are also permitted to stay home on specific religious holidays associated with their faith. However, parents must inform the school in advance by submitting a written declaration stating that their child will not be attending school on the religious holiday in question.

In Flanders, the organisation of education is determined autonomously by the school board, which establishes a school work plan and lesson timetable. The school week follows a structured schedule, with children attending 28 or 29 lessons of 50 minutes each, spread evenly across five days from Monday to Friday. Lessons start at the earliest at 8:00 a.m., though most schools begin around 8:30 a.m. The school day ends between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., depending on the school and grade level.

There is a lunch break of at least one hour, and in addition to this, schools may schedule a longer break before or after lunch. A morning and/or afternoon playtime break is also common. On Wednesdays, students have the afternoon off, although after-school care may be available for those who need it. To support working parents, many schools provide pre-school and after-school care options outside regular school hours.