Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, the Andalusian Government will implement a New model in early childhood education which will extend free daycare for two-year-old children. This measure will allow families with children of this age to age do not have to pay for the socio-educational care service from 9:00 a.m. to 15:30 p.m., unless they hire the dining service. This change represents a saving of up to 186,99 euros per month and will benefit more than 67.000 Andalusian minors in its initial phase.
A network of nurseries with more than 2.200 centres
Andalusia has a network of more than 2.200 early childhood education centres. Currently, the community offers 124.600 places for early childhood education, of which more than 80% are occupied. The reform of the nurseries seeks to encourage the demand for places and facilitate work-life balance.
The free model will be applied gradually. Firstly, it will affect two-year-old children, since they represent 52% of children enrolled in the first cycle of early childhood education. The Junta expects that this programme will generate a "pull effect", which would increase demand by 20%, that is, some 11.519 more children enrolled.
Significant savings for families
Currently, families with a per capita income greater than 1,5 times the IPREM (12.159,43 euros per year and above) pay 278,89 euros per month for the nursery service, including socio-educational care and canteen. With the reform, they will only have to pay 92 euros for the canteen, which This represents a saving of up to 2.055 euros per year for each child enrolled in Andalusian nurseries.
Families in vulnerable situations, mothers who are victims of gender violence or terrorism already benefit from the free service, and will continue to have access to it free of charge. In addition, 48% of children enrolled in public nurseries will continue to receive free meals. The new model also establishes a system of reduced prices for morning classes and afternoon classes.
The Andalusian Government will allocate 40 million euros to finance free socio-educational care in nurseries without the support of the central government. "The central government model is based on the creation of new public places, while ours is committed to directly helping families with free early childhood education," says Rafael Salas, director general of Planning, Centres and Concerted Education of the Ministry of Educational Development.
In this sense, the Board maintains that eThis model of daycare allows for better work-life balance, facilitating access to early childhood education without implying an economic burden for Andalusian households.
Andalusian Pact for Conciliation and Co-responsibility
El Andalusian Pact for Conciliation and Co-responsibility, promoted by the Andalusian Government in collaboration with Andalusian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, the Confederation of Businessmen of Andalusia and the Professional Association of Self-Employed Workers, It is already a reality for many families.
This agreement has the support of 785 municipalities, 800 business organisations and more than 200.000 entrepreneurs, SMEs and self-employed workers, and aims to improve work-life balance in the community. The measures implemented include:
- Tax deductions in the income tax return, which represents a saving of more than 11 million euros for Andalusian families.
- 43 millones de euros in 2024 for actions that promote conciliation and co-responsibility.
- Demand for a State Pact for Reconciliation and Co-responsibility, similar to that on gender violence, which redirects the 190 million euro budget of the Corresponsables Plan to the real needs of families.
The gradual introduction of free childcare in Andalusia is a milestone in early childhood education and in the reconciliation of family and work. With this initiative, the Andalusian Government seeks to guarantee universal access to early childhood education, reduce the economic burden on families and promote equal opportunities from the first stage of education.
