Pre-school education is optional in Estonia, but almost all children attend kindergarten for some number of years. Statistics claim that two-thirds of all Estonian children start kindergarten at the age of two or three, but there are possibilities to start as early as 18 months, if you find a suitable place for your child. Pre-school can be utilized on all workdays, as much as parents find it suitable for their children. In pre-school, children have a daily routine that consists of playing, learning, eating, sleeping, and outdoor games.
How It Works
Each local government is responsible for kindergarten availability, and they have the obligation to ensure that all children between the ages of 1.5 and 7 in their area have the opportunity to attend kindergarten. It is also possible to replace kindergarten with a private childcare service, if the child is younger than 4 years old. In municipal kindergarten, you'll have to pay for a small tuition fee and your child's meals, but in private daycare, the fee is much higher. If your child is registered in Estonia, then your local government will also pay a small subsidy for your child if you are using the private daycare option.
Why would you want to use private daycare, though? In some regions, municipal kindergarten is very popular and competitive, so there just isn't enough available vacancy, and thusly, parents must either look for a nanny, or find a private kindergarten. Similarly, kindergarten groups often start from the age of 2 or 3, but as paid maternity leave is 18 months long in Estonia, parents often want to get back to work before the child has turned 2 years old. Oftentimes, parents put their child on a kindergarten waiting list right after he or she is born, but still may still have to wait a few years before there is a vacancy.
Contact Local Municipality
If you wish to put your child in Estonian kindergarten, then you must contact the local municipality to ask about the availability, and also submit an application. Make sure your child is registered in the Population Register, and that he or she has a personal identification code. Conversely, private kindergartens don’t ask for an identification code, or for a registered place of residence.
Read more about Estonian kindergarten: https://www.workinestonia.com/living-in-estonia/kindergartens/
You'll find more detailed information about Tallinn's kindergarten options here: https://www.tallinn.ee/en/haridus/admission-preschool
Check out the Tartu kindergarten options here: https://tartu.ee/en/preschool-children-s-institutions