The early childhood education and care (ECEC) (дошкільна освіта) sector in Ukraine is regulated by a number of legislative acts, the most important of which are the Law on Education (закон України ‘Про освіту’) and the Law on Early Childhood Education and Care (закон України ‘Про дошкільну освіту’).

ECEC is a primary component of the system of continuous learning in Ukraine, which aims to ensure the comprehensive development of children through upbringing, training, socialisation and the formation of necessary life skills. The state recognises the priority role of ECEC and creates appropriate conditions for its provision. Compulsory ECEC covers older pre-school children (typically between five and six (seven) years of age). The responsibility for ensuring access to ECEC lies with the parents (persons in loco parentis), who independently choose the most suitable ways and forms of ECEC for their children.

Children, including those with special educational needs (SEN), can receive ECEC at the request of their parents in a variety of settings. These include early childhood education institutions (ECEIs), structural units of educational institutions, at home through the medium of home (family) education, with the assistance of persons with pedagogical education or professional qualifications as pedagogical workers, as well as individual entrepreneurs whose main activity is in the field of education.

If parents decide that their child will attend an ECEI, they can choose the type of institution according to the form of ownership. In Ukraine, ECEIs can be state, municipal, private or corporate. As reported by the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, 96% of the 13,900 ECEIs were state or municipal owned at the end of 2022.

The founder of an ECEI may be a public authority on behalf of the state, a local council representing a territorial community (or communities), an individual, and/or a legal entity, including a religious organisation. 

An ECEI, regardless of its form of ownership, operates under a licence for educational activities in the field of early childhood education.

The development, upbringing and education of children in ECEIs of all types and forms of ownership are carried out following the requirements of the Basic component of early childhood education and care(наказ Міністерства освіти і науки України ‘Про затвердження Базового компонента дошкільної освіти’). This is a state standard that defines the mandatory competences and educational outcomes for children of six (seven) years of age and the conditions required for their achievement. Each ECEI may use educational programmes recommended by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MESU). The pedagogical council of the institution approves the list of educational programmes that the pre-school teachers intend to work with, and the head of the institution endorses it.

Children can receive early childhood education in different types of institutions, depending on their parents' choice, including:

• Nursery (ясла): for children aged one to three years; 

• Nursery-kindergarten (ясла-садок): for children aged one to six (seven) years;

• Kindergarten (дитячий садок): for children aged three to six (seven) years;

• Compensatory nursery-kindergarten (ясла-садок компенсуючого типу): for children with SEN aged two to seven (eight) years; 

• Family-oriented nursery-kindergarten (ясла-садок сімейного типу): for children aged two months to six (seven) years;

• Combined nursery-kindergarten (ясла-садок комбінованого типу): for children aged one to six (seven) years, which may include general development groups, compensatory groups and inclusive groups, etc.;

• Child development centre (центр розвитку дитини): provides support for the physical, intellectual and psychological development of children, as well as corrective and rehabilitative services for those attending other educational institutions or being cared for at home.

ECEI that provide care, development, and education for children aged one to three years are classified as ISCED 010 according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 2011, while those for children aged three to six (or seven) years are classified as ISCED 020.

Orphans, children deprived of parental care and children with physical and/or intellectual disabilities have access to childhood education in children's homes for children aged zero to three (or four for children with health problems). These institutions are part of the health care system. Furthermore, residential children's homes facilitate the development, upbringing, education and social adaptation of orphans and children deprived of parental care. This encompasses children of pre-school and school age who are in family relationships and are receiving state support.

Ukraine is currently in the process of reforming the ECEC sector, including updating the relevant legislation. In particular, on 6 June 2024, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted amendments to the Law on Early Childhood Education and Care. These amendments aim to create the most favourable conditions for the rapid development of quality and accessible pre-school education, as well as to create a modern, developmental and inclusive educational environment. They also aim to ensure a balance between the interests of all participants in the educational process, including children with SEN.