Home payments, increased subsidy and start-up grant

Increased choice and more options bridging the gap between maternity leave and nursery care.

The Hafnarfjörður municipal council recently approved a change to offer home payments to parents of children from the age of 12 months, a start-up grant for childminders, and an increase in the subsidy for childminders, which is reflected in the new home payments. These changes came into effect on 1 January 2023 and aim to create new opportunities and increase choice for parents, giving them the opportunity to stay at home for longer, while at the same time increasing the number of crucial childminders. Increased choice when it comes to childcare matters.

Home payments to parents of young children

From 1 January 2023, parents of children in Hafnarfjörður who have reached the age of 12 months can apply for home payments amounting to the same sum as the standard subsidy for childcare with a childminder. This meets parents' wishes for more ways to bridge the gap from the end of maternity and paternity leave until a child starts nursery school. At the same time, we must continue to find more ways and solutions to ensure that new parents have a diverse and genuine choice, such as extending maternity leave and further strengthening and increasing the flexibility of nursery provision and the childminder scheme. Currently, there are 26 childminders working in Hafnarfjörður, many of whom have dedicated themselves to the profession and can boast long careers, extensive experience, and connections that last a lifetime.

Apply for home payments on the Hafnarfjörður Municipality's My Pages.

Hafnarfjörður wants to increase the number of day-care providers.

Daycare providers are a vital pillar of the childcare sector, and the City of Hafnarfjörður aims, through its measures, to increase their numbers. The demand for the services of childminders is high, and it is quite clear that a certain group of children thrive, and sometimes better, in smaller groups and in a home environment. From 1 January 2023, day-care providers who have worked for the municipality for 12 months and hold a valid professional licence can apply for a start-up grant of kr. 300,000. At the same time, the payment to day parents for childcare increased from kr. 8,433 per childcare hour to kr. 12,800 per childcare hour. Parents/guardians with lower incomes can apply for an additional subsidy based on the current fee schedule. A sibling discount is available when siblings are simultaneously with a day-care provider, in a nursery school or in an after-school club; the second child receives a 75% discount and the third a 100% discount. Daycare providers in Hafnarfjörður are self-employed but receive a licence to operate from their municipality, subject to certain conditions. The Daycare Officer for the City of Hafnarfjörður oversees and supervises the activities of daycare providers, as well as providing them with day-to-day professional advice.

• Minutes of the Hafnarfjörður Town Council
• All further information about childminders in Hafnarfjörður

Photo: Olga Björt Þórðardóttir – A Hafnfirðingur (June 2019)