Greece brings forward nursery move to unlock more childcare places

Children in Greece will move from infant centres to preschool nurseries at two instead of two and a half, as the government seeks to expand capacity in crowded urban areas.

Greece has loosened the rules for infant and nursery schools in an effort to create more places for children, particularly in cities where space is tight. Under the new joint ministerial decision, the age at which a child moves from an infant unit to a preschool nursery has been brought forward to two years from two and a half, a change the government says will help existing facilities take in more children without compromising safety or care. According to the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family, the revision is meant to make the system more flexible and to better use current buildings and infrastructure.

The updated framework also adjusts the way these childcare centres are organised, including capacity rules, space specifications and staffing requirements. Officials have argued that the reform is designed around the realities of large urban areas, where finding land for new nurseries can be difficult, and around the pressure on parents seeking places. The ministry says the changes were drawn up with the Ministry of Environment and Energy and followed consultation with families and providers.

The practical effect is that infant centres will now cover children from two months to two years old, while preschool nurseries will accept children from age two until the point they begin compulsory education. Greek outlets have presented the move as part of a wider effort to widen access to free childcare and expand capacity, although some coverage has also raised questions about whether the new rules can be implemented safely and consistently across providers. Even so, the government’s position is that the reforms are intended to increase places while keeping the same basic standard of supervision and care.