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SCHOOLS

How does childcare work in Austria?

Childcare can be a delicate topic and often varies from country to country. Here’s how the system works in Austria.

Children playing at nursery
Childcare provision in Austria depends on which region you're in and the age of your child. Photo: Pavel Danilyuk/Pexels

Childcare in Austria hit the headlines recently after the federal government announced a €4.5 billion childcare package and plans to increase the number of available spaces by 50,000 before 2030.

This follows a recent report by research institute Eco Austria that claims many parents in Austria are unable to work full time and the current childcare provision falls short of the Barcelona target.

The Barcelona target was agreed by EU leaders in 2002 to ensure the development of childcare facilities in Europe, with a focus on sustainable and inclusive growth.

It states that childcare should be provided for 90 percent of children between the age of three and the mandatory school age (six-years-old in Austria), and for 33 percent of children under the age of three.

The latest figures by Statistics Austria show that childcare provision for children under the age of three is currently at 29.9 percent in Austria – well below the Barcelona target.

Despite the recent negative press coverage though, childcare in Austria is still highly rated among international residents – especially when compared to countries like the UK and the US.

Here’s what you need to know about childcare in Austria.

How does the childcare system work?

In Austria, there are different types of care available before children reach mandatory school age, including nurseries for those under the age of three, kindergartens up to the age of six and workplace and university childcare centres.

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Facilities are run privately or funded by the government and the costs can vary. The family’s income and the number of childcare hours are taken into account when calculating fees.

Parents usually have to register for places in advance.

Nurseries for babies and toddlers

In many parts of Austria, childcare for babies and toddlers up to the age of three takes place at day nurseries (kinderkrippen).

The cost and type of service available depends on the province and more details can be found at the Austrian Federal Government website.

But in Vienna, childcare for babies and toddlers is provided at both kindergartens and private nurseries with costs subsidized by the City of Vienna.

For children under 3.5-years-old in Vienna, parents receive up to €624.72 per month towards childcare.

For children aged between 3.5 years and six, there is a subsidy up to €423.31 per month for all-day care, €349.34 for part time and €252.29 for half-day. The money is paid directly from the government to the care provider.

The City of Vienna recommends parents should register for a place at a publicly-funded kindergarten in November or December for enrolment in the following year.

Kindergarten

The age when a child can be sent to a publicly-funded kindergarten depends on the province.

For example, kindergarten in Vienna is available to children up to six years of age and a similar system is in place in Burgenland and Carinthia.

In Tyrol however, kindergarten starts when children are four with an allowance of a half-day (20 hours a week without lunch) provided by the government for free. This is the minimum amount of free childcare that a state government has to provide.

READ MORE: Vienna kindergartens partially closed as staff protest work conditions

Whereas in Upper Austria and Lower Austria, a half-day of free kindergarten starts at 2.5-years-old. 

Private kindergartens are available across the country but they are not free and the costs vary depending on the operator.

A half-day of kindergarten attendance every day from Monday to Friday is mandatory for all children in Austria from the age of five.

How does childcare in Austria compare to other countries?

In the UK, childcare is less structured than Austria with varying levels of financial support depending on whether a family meets the eligibility criteria.

For example, parents in England can access up to 15 hours of free childcare each week for children from the age of two. Working families with children aged three to four can access 30 hours of free childcare a week.

In Germany, the cost of daycare (Kita) depends on where a family lives. Kita is free for all children from birth in Berlin and Hamburg, but state-run kindergartens in Munich cost between €70 and €120 a month, with private centres charging up to €200.

In the US, parents spend an average of $8,355 (approximately €7,224) on childcare for each child, according to a recent CNBC article

However, an enhanced tax credit system is currently in operation for 2021 and President Biden is calling for legislation to further help families with childcare costs.

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POLITICS

EXPLAINED: Austria wants to define its fundamental culture but what is it?

Politicians from Austria's centre-right ÖVP are putting together a definition of Austria's 'guiding culture', known in German as 'Leitkultur'. What is that and why are they doing it?

EXPLAINED: Austria wants to define its fundamental culture but what is it?

When you think of Austria, your first thoughts might be of Alpine hills, Schnitzel and traditional folk music. 

Is this what politicians are referring to when they talk about Austrian ‘Leitkultur’ or ‘leading or guiding culture’? 

Many in Austria are considering this question because the coalition government is honing in on this concept. 

Austria’s Integration Minister Susanne Raab, of the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), has been tasked by chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) to develop a legal definition of ‘Austrian guiding culture’.

It’s part of the “Austria Plan” that Nehammer presented earlier this year when he called for a “guiding Austrian culture by 2030, which should also be reflected in law as a national cultural asset”.

READ ALSO: ‘Austria Plan’ – What are the chancellor’s new plans for the country?

Raab said it should ensure “that symbols and behaviours that contradict our fundamental values can be treated in a legally differentiated manner”.

However, this topic has been the subject of heated debate with critics accusing politicians of using it to alienate immigrants, particularly asylum seekers and refugees.There is a fear that the ‘Leitkultur’ concept goes against multiculturalism and calls on people to conform to one ‘guiding culture’ without an acceptance of other ways of life outside western culture. 

The concept is not just a talking point in Austria – it’s also been discussed heavily in neighbouring Germany for years, particularly by centre-right and far-right parties. 

How is Austria planning to define Leitkultur?

The Austrian government says it wants to define a concept of national cultural heritage in law over the next six years. 

As a first step, the Integration Minister has brought together a panel of experts who will meet on Thursday.

Under the banner “Austrian identity and guiding culture: values of coexistence”, the first meeting will be an introductory exchange, according to Raab’s office. The minister will outline her approach to the topic before the discussion, Austrian newspaper Der Standard reported.

The panel includes Katharina Pabel, a lawyer from Linz, Rainer Münz, who worked for Erste Bank and advised Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the EU Commission and Wolfgang Mazal, a professor at the Institute for Labour and Social Law at the University of Vienna.

What is Austrian ‘guiding culture’?

In an interview with Der Standard before the meeting, Mazal said the initial discussion “should serve to find a consensus in society about what is important to us and what form of coexistence we should cultivate”. He added that the ‘Leitkultur’ debate should be a “process of reflection”.

Mazal does not share the criticism of the term – in his view, it is not about placing one culture above others. Similar to the mission statement of a company, a “guiding culture” should define the “fundamental direction” of a society, he said. 

But the ÖVP’s communication has been more rigid. Secretary General Christian Stocker, for instance, recently explained in a Facebook video that Austrian identity is “what defines us”. This goes “from A to Z”, for example from brass band music to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. “How we celebrate our festivals and holidays” is also part of our identity, he said. And “anyone who doesn’t want to accept all that is welcome to leave”, he made clear.

Overall, the People’s Party is focussing the debate very strongly on the topic of migration. Stocker says, for example, in the context of his comments on identity, that those “who have come to us” have done so voluntarily. “They have chosen this country and therefore they must also accept how we live in this country, what tradition and identity we have.”

In social media posts, Der Standard notes that the party states things like: “Anyone who believes that they should not shake a woman’s hand because she is ‘unclean’ must leave.” Or: “Anyone who rejects our way of life must leave!” 

Integration a key component 

Integration Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) told the Kronen Zeitung earlier this year that the concept was centred on integration. 

“Integration means learning the language, going to work and also accepting the values of our coexistence,” she said.

“And that is relevant because many people come to us who have been socialised completely differently. Where the culture is completely different, where women are worth less than men, where girls have no access to education and are forced into marriage or where the police are not your friend and helper, but highly corrupt. All of this is important to convey. And this is where immigrants also have to adapt.”

Raab added that it was possible for someone who did not adapt to face sanctions. 

“Yes, there will be measures that can be implemented in law, Raab told the newspaper, suggesting that could include cuts to social benefits, for example, or negative influences in the citizenship procedure or to asylum status.

The minister gave the example of when refugees come to Austria they have to take a German and values course as well as sign a declaration of integration otherwise there is a risk of having social benefits cut. The ÖVP is also currently considering further sanctions. 

Whatever the case, it is clear that the ÖVP is pushing for more integration measures in Austria, which is something they have been doing consistently. 

READ ALSO: Austrian minister wants foreigners to improve German levels to keep social benefits

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