At today’s meeting, the Lower Austrian state government approved special-purpose grants of around 4.6 million euros for the expansion of childcare. The grants are part of the 15a agreement for early childhood education and are available to day care facilities and childminders for investment costs, such as creating additional childcare places or achieving accessibility and for staff costs.
According to a press release from the office of State Councilor Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister, a total of 58 facilities, including 56 day care facilities and two legal entities of childminders, are being funded by the current decision.
The aim is to increase the childcare rate for under 3-year-olds
“The funds from the 15a agreement are primarily intended to increase the childcare quota for children under the age of 3. With this we want to strengthen the care of small children and elementary education as well as create an even more family-friendly offer for parents.
The aim is also to enable a very wide range of offers – that’s why there will also be grants for investments in the creation of new childcare offers,” says the family state councilor.
The current Art. 15a agreement on elementary education and the associated expansion of child education and care facilities will expire in August this year. Therefore, one is already in negotiations with the federal government in order to set up a successor plan in good time.
“These funds are extremely important in order to be able to continue to keep the level of childcare in Lower Austria at this high level,” said the provincial councillor