Early Childhood Education and Care
Overview of Early Childhood Education and Care
Institutional care for young children in the Czech Republic has a long tradition and is provided on a very broad basis for children older than 3 years of age although it is not compulsory. In terms of operating and staff costs, it is on a high level and its educational component has always been substantial. Nowadays the offer of care for children under age of 3 is relatively low and scarcely used.
Early Childhood Education and Care in the Republic of Croatia is an integral part of the system of education and child care. .
It constitutes the initial level of the education system and, except for pre-primary education programs, it is not compulsory for preschool children. It is divided into three educational cycles, based on the age of children: (1) from 6 months to one year of age, (2) from 1 to 3 years, (3) from 3 years of age to the start of primary education.
The education and care of young children are organised in two distinct types of structures: pre-primary or nursery education , from the age of 2,5, and childcare facilities : education and care for young children who can be cared for in day care centres or by childminders as soon as the maternity leave of their mother is over (which generally means after 4 months).
Childcare is a competence of the Flemish Minister for Wellbeing, Public Health, and Family. Child and Family (‘Kind en Gezin’) takes care of the implementation.
Child and Family is an agency of the Flemish Government and as such has the assignment to actively contribute to the wellbeing of young children and their families by providing services in the (policy) domains of preventive family support, childcare and adoption.
Preventive family support