Improvements to preschool learning and work environments

The proposals are based on guardians' income, calculated from the total annual income reported on their tax returns. Staff and sibling discounts will still apply.

Tuition discounts are available for single parents with incomes up to 13 million kr. and for married couples or cohabiting partners with incomes up to 18 million kr.

• For each additional half-hour between 36 and 38 hours, tuition increases by 1,750 kr.
• For each additional half-hour between 38 and 40 hours, tuition increases by 2,750 kr.
• For each half-hour added after 40 hours, tuition increases by 4,000 kr.

Tuition discounts are based on the guardian's income and calculated using total annual income according to their tax return. Employee and sibling discounts remain in effect.

Under the proposals, meal fees remain unchanged. It is 15,290 kr. for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack. If hours of stay are under 35 hours, the afternoon snack is not included, and the fee becomes 12,233 kr. Food fees change regularly.

For single parents

• Annual income under 8 million kr. → 75% discount on tuition
• Annual income between 8-13 million kr. → 50% discount on tuition
• Annual income over 13 million → 40%

For married couples or cohabitants

• Annual income under 11 million kr. → 40% discount on tuition
• Annual income between 11-18 million kr. → 20% discount on tuition

Special discounts for these groups will be discontinued. Instead, new income criteria will ensure that those with the lowest incomes receive discounts.

Reykjavík preschool staff receive a 50% discount on tuition.

No, the highest discount applies, and discounts are not combined.

The sibling discount is 100% of the tuition for the older child, plus 100% off the food fee for the third child and any subsequent children.

Attendance starts between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. Maximum hours of stay are 42.5 hours per week, which equals about 8.5 hours per day. You can choose different hours of stay for different days of the week.

All hours at the preschool are quality hours designed for children's age, development, and individual circumstances. However, the preschool should organize the key elements of its curriculum within a 5- to 6-hour period each day in a predictable and purposeful way.

This includes group activities, field trips, teacher-guided play, and educational documentation. Outside this time, the structure is more flexible and emphasizes free, spontaneous play, safety, well-being, and individualized care.

• For each additional half-hour between 36 and 38 hours, tuition increases by 1,750 kr.
• For each additional half-hour between 38 and 40 hours, tuition increases by 2,750 kr.
• For each half-hour added after 40 hours, tuition increases by 4,000 kr.

Tuition discounts are based on the guardian's income and calculated using total annual income according to their tax return. Employee and sibling discounts remain in effect.

Shorter hours of stay enable preschools to plan their educational programs more effectively and ensure more stable operations. It also makes it easier to meet new staff work-hour agreements and reduces the likelihood of service disruptions due to understaffing.

Requests to change hours of stay are submitted through Vala.
The preschool director must approve the change.

Due to ongoing fee schedule changes, the following deadlines apply for processing applications:

• Applications received March 1-15, 2026, take effect April 1, 2026.
• Applications received March 16-31, 2026, take effect April 15, 2026.
• Applications received April 1-15, 2026, take effect May 1, 2026.

Starting May 1, 2026, regular rules for changing hours of stay under the Rules on Preschool Services will resume, requiring one month advance notice.

Yes. You can choose different hours of stay for different days of the week, depending on your family's wishes and needs. You can test different schedules in the calculator to see the impact on fees.

On optional care registration days, care is optional and preschool fees are waived for days the child is on holiday. If you need care for a child on these days you need to register and pay fees for those days. The general rule is that optional care days follow the City's primary school holidays around Easter, winter break and Christmas.

Optional care days are:

• 3 days in October (primary school winter break)
• 2-4 days in December (days between Christmas and New Year)
• 1 days in February (primary school winter break)
• the three days before Easter (the week leading up to Easter)

Each preschool's annual calendar lists the optional care days.

Each optional care day costs 5,000 kr., which is added to the monthly fee.

Discounts on optional care days for siblings are 50% for a younger sibling and 100% for a third child. No other discounts are available for optional care days.

Registration for optional care days is open twice a year: Sept. 10-20 for the fall semester and Jan. 10-20 for the spring semester. Registration is on Vala.

When a child is registered for optional care days, they can attend preschool on those days. Optional care days are not included in the monthly fee. Each day costs 5,000 kr., which is added to that month's bill.

Registration helps the preschool plan its operations. This registration allows the preschool to schedule the appropriate number of staff and plan for meals.

If the child isn't registered for optional care days, they cannot attend preschool on those days.

Registration is binding for optional care days. If a child doesn't attend due to illness or other reasons, parents still must pay for each day the child is registered.

Opportunities for siblings to get openings at the same preschool have been expanded under the new rules. Sibling consideration applies generally, but sibling grouping will now apply during main enrollment.

Sibling consideration means that when one opening is available, we check if we can offer the next child an opening at another preschool that parents have chosen so siblings can be placed together, provided certain conditions are met.

Opportunities for siblings to get openings at the same preschool have been expanded under the new rules. Sibling consideration applies generally, but sibling grouping will now apply during main enrollment.

The new rules go further to unite siblings during main enrollment through what's called sibling grouping. When one opening is available, we check if we can offer openings to up to three children at another preschool that parents have chosen so siblings can be placed together, provided certain conditions are met.

Specific requirements apply to both sibling consideration and sibling placement:
a) Sibling consideration and sibling placement are possible when one opening remains at the older sibling's preschool.
b) The older child/sibling has at least six months remaining in preschool or is not transferring to another preschool when the younger
child starts at the preschool.
c) Parents have chosen the older sibling's preschool as their first choice for the younger child.
d) The older sibling already has active enrollment at the preschool in question.
e) The younger child is at enrollment age at the time.
f) The older child on the waitlist has been offered an opening at one of the
preschools that parents have chosen.

The focus is on ensuring maximum staffing based on the number of children for 36 hours per week. On optional care days, fewer staff are needed.

Staff work 36 hours per week, but many children stay 40 hours or more per week. This creates imbalances and puts stress on staff, children, and parents. These proposals are intended to address this issue more effectively.

49 of 67 city-run preschools had to resort to such measures at some point during the year. In most cases, this was a safety precaution due to insufficient staffing.

Preschools will remain open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. all weekdays.

Preschools are closed six days a year for planning days. Of these, three coincide with professional development days for primary school staff. Planning days are published in the school calendar and announced well in advance.

Preschools are closed on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and for an average of 20 weekdays for summer vacation. Preschools will be closed on the second day of primary school winter break in February.

There are 9-11 optional care days per year. The preschool remains open, but attendance must be registered.

The preschool will be open to children who are registered for care on optional care days. Staffing will match the number of children who need care on these days. The fee is 5,000 kr. for each optional care day.

Preschools will be closed on the second day of primary school winter break in February.

Children in Reykjavík preschools take at least 20 weekdays of summer vacation. The preschool director decides whether the preschool will stay open all summer or close for 10-20 consecutive weekdays. If your child's preschool stays open all summer, you can request to split the summer vacation into two parts. Please send requests to split a child's summer vacation to the relevant preschool director.

All hours at the preschool are quality hours designed for children's age, development, and individual circumstances. However, the preschool should organize the key elements of its curriculum within a 5- to 6-hour period each day in a predictable and purposeful way.

The preschool director determines how this time is specifically used. This is when the preschool's main activities take place: core educational programming based on the national curriculum, the preschool's own policies and philosophy, and the Reykjavík Education Policy.

This includes group activities, field trips, teacher-guided play, and educational documentation. Outside this time, the structure is more flexible and emphasizes free, spontaneous play, safety, well-being, and individualized care.