Private preschool association head urges state support for earlier daycare access

With birth-rate policy back at the center of political debate, discussion has resumed over what kind of state support for families could genuinely influence decisions about having children. Daina Kājiņa, head of Latvia's Association of Private Preschools, argues that financial support is only one factor among several — economic stability, the ability to combine work with raising children, and access to services all matter just as much.

The cutoff is one and a half years, but need arises earlier

In Latvia, access to preschool education is traditionally tied to the age of one and a half years, but according to Kājiņa, families' everyday reality often doesn't fit neatly within this administrative boundary. Experience from private preschools shows that many children start attending daycare as early as age one, because parents must return to work according to their individual circumstances. Other families, during this transition period, must hire a nanny or find another solution.

Kājiņa points out that while private preschools are already willing to accept younger children, families currently must cover the full cost themselves. In her view, state co-financing should become available from the moment a family objectively needs the daycare service, rather than only once a child reaches a set age. This would not mean every child should start daycare at age one — families should retain freedom of choice — but that choice should not depend on whether parents can afford to pay for several months of private preschool on their own.

Elsewhere in Europe, support starts earlier

The author cites examples from other countries: in Sweden, 51% of one-year-olds attend preschool; in Finland, roughly 43%; and in Norway, 84%. At age two, the figures are even higher — 91% in Sweden, nearly 78% in Finland, and 80% in Estonia. Financing models differ: in the Nordic countries, cooperation with the private sector plays a significant role; the Netherlands plans reforms aiming for 96% co-financing; and in parts of Germany, including Berlin and Hamburg, preschool is free for parents from the child's birth.

Kājiņa stresses that Latvia does not need to copy any single country's model wholesale, but that this experience shows support can be organized more flexibly, tailored to families' actual needs. She adds that families need not just money at a given moment but predictability — knowing that after parental leave they can return to work and their child will have access to quality, affordably priced care.