If you want to enrol your child in a nursery, contact the local authority that has established the admission and exclusion procedures.

The choice of nursery is free, provided that there are places available in the nursery of your choice. You can choose between municipal and private kindergartens, but please note that the kindergarten must have a training or activity licence, which you can check in the Estonian Education Information System. Private kindergartens receive a subsidy from the municipality at a rate agreed with the town or municipality.

To apply for a place, you must apply to the local authority. As kindergartens operate on a school year basis, applications are generally accepted for the school year starting.

Local authorities will take into account parental preference when allocating nursery places. The municipality first accepts a child living in the area served by the nursery, giving preference where possible to children whose other children from the same family attend the same nursery.

After the admission of children residing in the service area, and subject to the availability of nursery places, all children between one and a half and seven years of age whose place of residence is within the territory of the municipality or city and coincides with the place of residence of at least one of the parents shall be admitted. A place in a nursery school for a child aged between one-and-a-half and three years may be substituted by the municipality or city, with the consent of the parent, by a childcare service, the financing of which shall be organised in accordance with the Pre-School Childcare Act.

After the admission of children residing in the service area, children from outside the service area are admitted to the kindergarten if there are free places, with priority given to children residing in the same municipality or city, then to children of parents working in the service area.

For a child with special needs, the municipality or city administration will provide developmental and growth opportunities in an adapted or special group in the kindergarten of the child's place of residence, based on the recommendations of the out-of-school counselling team.

Where necessary, the child shall be provided with the services of a speech and language therapist and a special needs teacher or other support services, which shall be provided by the childcare provider and managed by the director of the childcare centre.

For a child under 3 years of age, a parent can apply to the local authority for a place in childcare instead of a nursery place, with the parent's contribution not exceeding 20% of the minimum wage set by the government.

Childcare supports a young child's self-help, social and play skills, and allows childminders to care for children in smaller groups. Childcare for children under the age of 3 has one childminder for every five young children.

N.B. Childminders must have a licence to provide childcare services, which you can check in the register of economic activities.

You can find out more about the curricula and teaching and learning activities in kindergartens on the website of the Ministry of Education and Research.

Most kindergartens in Estonia have joined the "Bullying-free kindergarten" project and are also part of the network of health-promoting kindergartens.

Raising a child with a disability can increase a family's care burden. The capacity of local authorities to provide the necessary level of services for children with disabilities varies from region to region.

The legal representative (parent and legal guardian) of a severely or profoundly disabled child up to the age of 17 (inclusive) or the parent of a foster family whose place of residence is registered in the Republic of Estonia and that of the child is registered in the Republic of Estonia is entitled to apply for disability support services. 

In order to support the parent of a severely or profoundly disabled child to work, study and cope, the European Social Fund provides support services for families: childcare, support persons and, as a support service, transport. During the provision of these services, the child's care, development and safety are guaranteed.