Place guarantee to ECEC

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is regulated and structured in accordance with the national legislation of the Republic of Moldova, providing measures for universal access to ante-preschool and preschool education in public institutions.

Measures for universal access

In accordance with the legislation in force, all children in the Republic of Moldova have the right to ante-preschool and preschool education in public education institutions. This right includes non-discriminatory access to early childhood and care education services, financially supported by the state to ensure accessibility.

Ante-preschool education is carried out in the family, benefiting from funding from the national public budget according to the legislation in force. At the parents' request, local public administration authorities can organise ante-preschool education, with funding from local budgets.

Preschool education is mandatory for all children in the respective school district upon parental request. The state partly bears the expenses for these services in public institutions, including for children with special educational needs.

Measures for specific target groups

In addition to universal access, there are also measures targeting specific groups of children, such as those with special needs or those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Children with special educational needs benefit from education and care services tailored to their specific needs. These services are integrated into the educational programmes of public preschool education institutions.

Children from disadvantaged families can have priority access to early education through community early education centers, which are public institutions created by local public administration authorities, to support the social and educational inclusion of children from these backgrounds.

Implementation of the right to early education

The local public administration authorities of the first level are responsible for the establishment, reorganisation and liquidation of public early education institutions. They ensure the effective application of the legislation, guaranteeing children's access to places in ante-preschool and preschool education institutions in a non-discriminatory manner.

Enrolment of children in public early education institutions takes place in the order of application submission, within the limits of available places. If there are no places available at the requested early education institution, the founder can propose another institution to the parent.

Affordability

Ante-preschool education is carried out in the family, benefiting from financing from the national public budget according to the legislation in force. At the parents' request, local public administration authorities can organise ante-preschool education, with funding from local budgets.

The state bears the expenses for preschool education and care services in public institutions for all children, including children with special educational needs (Education Code of the Republic of Moldova). However, the parents or other legal representatives of the children have the responsibility to pay the fee for meals according to the payment receipt and the regulations of the local public administration. At the decision of the founder of the institution, exemptions from the fee for meals can be offered to children from vulnerable families, in accordance with the legislation in force, from the account of own budgetary resources (Regulation of the early childhood education institution).

In private institutions, parents have to pay the full fees for the services provided, which vary depending on the institution.