Children aged 2 to 6 years old can attend public or private kindergartens. You can send your child to a state district kindergarten at the place of residence and/or registration (residence permit). The monthly fee is approximately 15 euros. Meals are paid separately at the rate of 1 euro per day. In addition, parents make a one-time contribution to the garden fund. These funds are used to organize leisure activities and excursions for children, repairs, purchase of toys, and so on. The amount of the contribution is determined by the advice of the parents.
If there is no place in public kindergartens, or if the mandatory requirements of preschool kindergartens cannot be met (for example, the child is not yet ready to attend kindergarten), parents have the opportunity to send their child to a private kindergarten, including a church one. Monthly installments in private preschool institutions is several times higher than in public ones. The cost of the visit varies depending on the services provided by the garden. So, a kindergarten can offer classes in a foreign language, or be with sports or creative bias.
What do you need to enroll in kindergarten?
To enroll in a kindergarten, both public and private, you need to fill out an application form for an appointment. The form can be downloaded from the kindergarten website or filled out on the spot. You also need confirmation from a pediatrician that the child is healthy and ready to attend kindergarten. Nobody requires confirmation of vaccinations or vaccinations.
Do kindergartens and schools accept foreign children, how much does it cost, what does it include?
When your children receive residence permit cards, they receive the same rights to education and training as Slovak children. This means that they can register and go to public kindergartens and schools for free. You will need to pay, like everyone else, only for food (about € 30-40 per month) and excursions agreed in advance at the parent meeting, large purchases to an educational institution (for example, equipment, educational materials, etc.), and the like.
Enrollment in state kindergartens takes place at a strictly defined time, namely from February to the end of March each year and you can start going to kindergarten from September this year. In some districts of Bratislava, for example, in Petrzalka, there is a shortage of places, so you need to register as early as possible. State kindergartens accept children from 3 years old.
Many private kindergartens accept children at any time and starting from the age of 1.5 years. As a rule, private kindergartens have a certain bias: more often language (when all communication with a child in a kindergarten takes place in a foreign language) or sports (hockey, football, etc.). Expensive kindergartens have native speakers among teachers, a swimming pool, improved nutrition, toys and furniture, and various developmental techniques. Teaching foreign languages (almost always English) is also available in state kindergartens, only where it goes as additional classes, a circle to choose from, and communication with children takes place in Slovak.
The cost of private kindergartens ranges from € 250 to € 500 per month, including meals.
The most common foreign language in private kindergartens is English, then German, less often Spanish and French.