Nurseries and kindergartens will accept children from three months: Ministry of Education and Science
Preschool education in Ukraine is going through a difficult stage of transformation, especially in the conditions of a full-scale war, when the issues of safety, accessibility and quality become even more acute. Thousands of families are forced to change their place of residence, looking for safe regions for themselves and their children. In such conditions, restoration and development of the preschool education system became one of the important tasks of the government. After all, for many parents, the opportunity to leave a child in kindergarten is not just a matter of child development, but also a chance to return to work, provide for the family, and integrate into new communities.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is developing new approaches to the functioning of kindergartens and expanding opportunities for creating mini-kindergartens and nurseries. At the same time, one of the most discussed initiatives is the possibility of admitting children to kindergartens from the age of three months. About this told Deputy Minister of Education for Preschool Education Anastasia Konovalova.
According to her, such a norm is included in the new law in order to take into account the various life circumstances in which parents may find themselves. And although the official herself hopes that there will be very few real cases when a child from three months will go to kindergarten, the state leaves such an option in case of difficult situations – for example, for single parents or families who have no other choice.
However, as Konovalova stressed, we are not talking about large state kindergartens, but rather about mini-kindergartens or semi-home institutions, which will now officially be able to work thanks to new legislative norms. For the first time, the law introduces the concept of “mini-kindergartens” – these are small preschool institutions that work privately or as part of a small business. Such facilities can be a temporary solution for some families with babies.
As for nurseries, they will now be able to accept children from one year of age. Previously, in Ukraine, due to the lack of places in kindergartens, it was practically impossible to send a child to the age of three. Now the state is changing its approach and seeks, on the contrary, to encourage parents to bring their children to preschool education institutions as early as one or a year and a half. This will make it possible not only to relieve families, but also to support the kindergarten network itself, which is experiencing a crisis due to the war.
“We have to fight for every child so that he goes to kindergarten not from the age of three, but earlier. And at the same time, I received high-quality service, and my mother could return to work. Now we have 750,000 plus children receiving preschool education. Of them, 168,000 — in mixed or online format”, – explains the official.
And not every kindergarten is ready to accept all children due to the lack of places, qualified teachers and proper conditions. The war only exacerbated the problem — some facilities are damaged or destroyed, others need re-equipment and increased security measures.
The Ministry of Education and Culture is working on new professional standards for educators, nannies and assistant educators who will be able to help work with the youngest children. This is especially true for nurseries and mini-kindergartens, where staff must have specific skills and knowledge to work with children under three years of age.
Sociological surveys confirm: most Ukrainian parents believe that children need kindergarten. But at the same time, they recognize that the optimal age to start attending kindergarten is from two years old, provided there is a nursery school. Because it is at this age that the child gradually becomes ready for socialization, and the parents for returning to work or study.
The authorities recognize that sending a child to kindergarten from three months is an exception, not a rule. But the new legislative norms should create a framework in which each family can find a solution for itself depending on the circumstances. All this is an attempt to save and restart preschool education in Ukraine in the conditions of war and to give children the right to development and parents to support.
