Nursery (Bölcsőde)

What

In Hungary you have the possibility to enrol your children to a nursery which is a preschool educational institution for children older than 20 weeks and younger than 3 years. Below you can see the types of the nurseries:

• Nursery institutions
  • Nursery: there are 12-14 children in one group, there are minimum 3 employees and it is organized by the municipality
• Mini nursery: there are 7-8 children in one group, there are minimum 2 employees and it is organized by the municipality
• Nursery services
  • Family nursery: there are 5-7 children in one group, there are 2 service provider persons, it takes place in a family home and it is organized by the municipality
  • Workplace nursery: there are 5-7 children in one group, there are 2 service provider persons, takes place in a workplace or a building rented by the employer, organized by the employer
•  Private nurseries: You can enrol your children to a private nursery where you have to pay for the service on monthly basis (70-80.000 HUF, ~225-258 € in 2017).

Who

You can enrol your child to nursery if he/she is older than 20 weeks and younger than 3 years (if the child is not mature enough to go to the kindergarten the duration can be extended until the child reaches the age of 4). Parents need to be employed at least part time and has to live in the area of the nursery.

How

Usually there are more applicants to the nurseries than places so only children that fulfil the above conditions can be enrolled. If you want to enrol your child to a nursery you need to find one in the vicinity of your home, apply on time and provide evidence of the employment (e.g. document by your employer). It can happen that you have to wait for a free place.

Even in public nurseries you have to pay for food and for placement, the fee depends on the social situation of your family and it may be different in every municipality. Generally, the maximum monthly fee is around 15-20.000 HUF (~ 48-65 € in 2017). In private nurseries the fees are much higher, around 70-80000 HUF (~ 225-258 € in 2017). In addition, in the public nurseries the nursery can ask for “group money” and for other types of contribution (e.g. soap, tissues, etc.).

When

The enrolment is continuous during the year. If you decide to apply for place in a nursery you should start the process as soon as you can because it can happen that you have to wait for a free place.

Good to know

In Hungary, the education system doesn’t make a difference between girls and boys.

Here, at the bottom of this page you can find a comprehensive description about the Hungarian educational system that was designed by the Menedék, Hungarian Association for Migrants (in Hungarian, English, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic and Farsi): http://menedek.hu/en/node/653

Where