Place guarantee to ECEC

Local governments are obliged to provide all children aged from 1.5 to 3 years permanently residing in their catchment area with the opportunity to attend childcare and children aged 3 to 7 years the opportunity to attend preschool if the parents so wish. 

A local government unit may provide ECEC places on the territory of another local government unit if this has been agreed with the other local government unit in an administrative contract. Childcare may be provided in a municipal or private childcare facility or in a childcare group of a municipal or private kindergarten, and a place in a kindergarten may be provided in a municipal or private kindergarten.

Affordability

In ECEC, parents cover the enrolment fee and the costs of children’s catering. Parents may also partially cover the management costs of the ECEC institution as well as the remuneration of the staff and the costs of teaching aids. ECEC institutions are mostly municipally owned and the local governments establish the rate for the amount to be covered by parents. The fee may differ according to the age of the child, the financial situation of the family, etc. There are also municipalities where parents do not have to pay at all for a place in ECEC. According to the law, the share of costs per child covered by a parent may not exceed 20% of the minimum salary established by the Government of the Republic.