The search for a nursery or a kindergarten in Vienna
In Austria, there are many possibilities, and a choice of institutions caring for children is very big. In this article we will mainly discuss institutions and organizations that carry out the daily care of children in Vienna.
The first step that should be made before enrolling your child in a kindergarten in Vienna is registration on the list of Wiener Kindergartenkinder. The form can be downloaded from wienerkindergearten.wien.at or wien.at . The registration can be done by E-mail or personally in Kindergartenstelle MA 10. Then, you can receive Kundinnen-Nummer, which will be used for registration of the child whether in a private or public kindergarten in Vienna, or another institution ( www.wienerkindergaerten.wien.at ).
In Vienna, public and private kindergartens are free, parents pay only for cost of meals (you can also apply for a funding), and in private kindergartens for all extra-curricular activities. It is worth to find out in advance what sum will be covered by the city, and what is left for you to pay.
1. State kindergartens in Vienna Kindergartenstelle MA 10
You should register your child in a kindergarten until the end of February, if you need a place for September of the next year (however the most common time for the registration in public kindergartens is November and December). It can be done in person at the Kindergartenstelle MA 10 office, or online on www.kindergaerten.wien.at what is easier and quicker.
You can receive an answer about acceptation together with information about required documents and date of entry in a selected kindergarten until the end of April.
State kindergartens and nurseries (Krippe – for children at the age 1-2) are very crowded, so you must fulfill several criteria to get a place. Decisive matters for getting a place in Vienna are following:
– location of residence in Vienna
– both parents have to work, or at a certain time to start a work
(written confirmation from your employer is necessary)
– the age of the child (children at the age of 4-6 have priority)
– Siblings in a nursery
– a distance from a location of residence
– social aspects.
2. Private kindergartens.
The www.kinderdrehscheibe.at site will give you information about private kindergartens, after-school care (hort), kindergarten groups and home care . Additionally, you will find some information about the opportunities, vacancies and general support for working parents.
3. Catholic kindergartens:
– St.Nikolaus-Kindertagesheimstiftung
– Vereinigung katholischer Kindertagesheime
4. Kindergruppen
kindergarten groups, private, small groups (max. for 14 children), run by people with an education for this profile. Kindergarten groups are usually focused on specific field at which child is educated, for example language, music … Opening hours are adapted to needs of parents.
5. Tagesmütter and Tagesvӓtter
it’s home childcare usually carried out by parents at home, in family atmosphere. The maximum number of children is 5. This is a very good offer for babies, as well as for those children who find it difficult to get used to new terms.