School age lowered and subsidies to the day-care system increased
The Town Board today, on behalf of the Town Council, approved the Education Committee's proposals from 1 June to lower the entry age for children in nursery school and to increase the parental contribution for children with childminders.
The Town Board today, on behalf of the Town Council, approved the Education Committee's proposals from 1 June to lower the entry age for children in nursery school and to increase the parental contribution for children with childminders.
The aim is that during the term of office, children will be 18 months old in the year they enrol in nursery school, instead of two years old as has been the case.
Subsidies for childcare with a registered childminder are increased from 40,000 kr. to 50,000 kr. per month, with an additional contribution provided from the child's 18th month until they secure a place in a nursery school.
It was also agreed to begin preparations for a pilot project on free nursery education, with 1-2 nurseries being recruited to take part. Their experience of the project will then be taken into consideration when deciding on such an arrangement for the future.
„This marks the first formal step towards lowering the admission age for children at the town's nursery school. It is also reducing expenditure for families with children, thereby making the municipality more competitive in this respect with other municipalities, as the majority wishes to emphasise,“
says Rósa Guðbjartsdóttir, chair of the town council, welcoming the fact that the town council has approved the proposals before it.
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