Like many other places in the world, getting your child into subsidised care in Austria, means registering early. But given the two years of potential maternity leave, there’s more time for planning. You don’t, for example, have to think about it before you even get pregnant! But there were some things about childcare in Austria that I wasn’t quite expecting. Though to be fair, I based it all on my perceived notion of Australian childcare. And obviously I’ve never had a child in Australian childcare! But here’s how it works here.
It starts with the school year
Kids begin at childcare the same time school goes back – so the first week of September. Now, the rule here is that parents who stay home two years need to return to work (if they choose to go back) on their child’s second birthday. In my case, that was June 26. But, registering Sam for childcare in 2024 meant he wouldn’t actually start until September… leaving a gap. In the end this wasn’t a problem for us, but what if you have your kid in February, for example? Basically, then you either have to organise other care (private or family) to cover the six month gap, or get them registered a year earlier so they are a tad younger when they go in.
It’s dirt cheap
Not free, no, and obviously subsidized by the government. You have to pay for food. You have to pay for activities. But it’s peanuts compared to what people in Australia or the US pay.
It’s flexible
Once you’ve got a spot for your kid, you can be flexible about the days and times they go. I thought I’d have to lock in how many days and what times Sam would be attending. In my mind, this was so they could perhaps make space for another child. But it’s not like that. He can go three days, or five, or whatever. He can be picked up at noon one day, 2pm another… you just have to give them a week’s notice of whether he needs meals and if he’s sleeping there, and then you can do as you like.
Kids have to take holidays too
Everyone in Austria gets five weeks of holidays. This goes for kids in daycare too. Weird but true. Sam’s already had a week off in Italy and he’ll have two weeks at Christmas, so I guess we need to plan two more holidays!
It’s a slow start
I know (now) that different countries have different rules about the transition into daycare. Some do half days until the kid progresses to full days. Some simply rip the Bandaid off and encourage kids to start with full days. I’m not sure what the correct way is, and obviously every child is different, but our transition was so slow it felt painful.
The first few days he stayed about an hour – and I had to sit in the corner of the room to observe, but not interact. The next step was staying in the room for a few minutes, and then leaving to wait outside, which went on a few days. Then finally… he got dropped off directly at the door. Gradually the time increased until he was doing entire mornings, but then we hit a speedbump cause he wouldn’t let them change his nappy without screaming the place down, and then we had to prepare him for napping there.
But I’m so grateful we have it
I can now report that Sam is fully transitioned into childcare. He naps (sometimes), he enjoys his outdoor time, playing with his little friends, and at home he recites weird German nursery rhymes. But I’m so grateful to be able to go back at work and know that my kid is safe and happy. I’m lucky it’s just around the corner. I’m lucky my in-laws can pick Sam up if I need extra time. I do miss the long days we used to spend together (maybe not the really long ones) but the balance is so much better now.
an aussie in austria 