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Preschool for all children

The preschool works for your child to play, develop and prepare for primary school. Most children in Sweden do attend preschool.

You have received a letter with information stating your child having received a place in preschool. It is important that you answer with a yes or no to the offer of a place in preschool. You make the decision whether your child should start preschool or not.

Your child will get a place in public preschool

General preschool means that all children have the right to attend 3 hours per day without being charged a fee. It applies from the autumn term in the year the child turns 3.

General preschool is free of charge
The child attends preschool for a maximum of 3 hours each day, Monday-Friday. Lunch is not included.
When the primary school has study days and holidays the child is off from preschool.

Answer yes or no

In the letter you have received there is a reply stub which you will have to fill in and sent back with the enclosed envelope.

It is important that you answer with a yes or no to the offer of a place. You make the decision whether your child should start preschool or not.

If your answer is yes

If your answer is yes to the pre-school place, the pre-school will contact you prior to the child starting pre-school. You can also contact the preschool yourself.

On September 1, your child will start preschool.

You choose whether the child should attend every day of the week (Monday-Friday) or only on certain days.

Where the preschool is located

The place in preschool your child is offered is as near to your home as possible. Which preschool it is depends on where there are available places.

If the child is to start at a different time during the year

If you want your child to start preschool in a month other than September, you can apply for a new preschool place yourself at any time of the year.
Read how to apply for preschool (Swedish)

If you want to apply for more time in preschool

Everyone can attend general preschool free of charge. It is 3 hours per day Monday-Friday. You can apply for a new place in preschool if you need more preschool time. You have the right to it if you are

working
studying
looking for work
is on parental leave for a sibling of the child.

If your child has a place in preschool with more time than for general preschool, you may have to pay a fee.
Read how to apply for preschool (Swedish)

If your answer is no

If you answer no to the preschool place, nothing happens. Your child will be offered a place at preschool every autumn until the child starts primary school.

Preschool is good for children

Most children in Sweden do attend preschool.

The preschool has trained staff and provides your child with care and security.

Your child plays, meets other children, develops and prepares them for school.

Preschool should be fun, safe and educational for all children.

You have therefore received a letter with an offer of a place in preschool

An amendment to the Education Act applies from 1 July, 2023. This means that the municipality must offer preschool places to certain children, even if their custodial parents have not applied for a preschool place.

Read about municipalities' efforts to increase the number of children in preschool at skolverket.se (Swedish)

Which children are offered a place

The children who receive the offer are children who

are turning three, four or five years old this year
were born abroad but have now been living in Sweden for a maximum of five years or
have custodial parents born abroad but have now been living in Sweden for a maximum of five years or

This is how we have retrieved your contact details

Every municipality in Sweden has information about the people registered in the municipality. The information comes from the Swedish Tax Agency, which is in charge of Sweden's population registry. Each municipality also has a register of which children have a pre-school place and which pre-school they are attending.