How to choose a preschool?

The idea can be daunting – your little one will soon have a part of their life without you, a part where they will develop, learn new things and shape their own person without you being there to watch. Your child will spend quite a few hours at a preschool or daycare centre, and as a parent you obviously want to find a safe environment that is fun to be in and where your child can develop fully. Where the staff are inspiring and loving and where you can feel completely relaxed about dropping off your child. The timing of the move to preschool or childminder varies, depending on when you can and want to start working again, but regardless of when it happens, as a parent you will want it to feel as good as possible.

Choosing a preschool or childminder

All children who have reached the age of one and who live in Sweden are entitled to a place at a public preschool. However, getting a place for your child in a popular preschool means you need to be on your toes and often apply several months in advance. The choices you have differ depending on where you live, as the range of preschools is often greater in more populated areas. But most people still have a couple of options in their area to choose between. They often differ in different ways, so it is a good idea to book a visit well in advance –⁠ at least six months in advance –⁠ with those who seem like a good match for you. Most preschools also tend to offer places to siblings first.

The proximity of a preschool can help you make your choice. For many, it can come as a bit of a shock to see how time seems to evaporate once the daily grind of work and nursery school has become routine. Having a preschool that is reasonably close means that you don’t have to spend a lot of time going back and forth –⁠ walking home with a child who wants to see if all the puddles are equally splashy can be as enjoyable as it is stressful, so not being too far away can be nice if you have that option.

Programmes and educational philosophies

Most children enjoy a preschool that is creative without being too chaotic. This is true regardless of the programme or educational philosophy of the preschool, e.g. Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia and ‘I ur och skur’ (‘Come Rain or Shine’). It may be wise to read up on the most common educational approaches to get an idea if there is one that suits your family better than another. As with everything else, popularity comes and goes, but you can rest assured that all preschools have a curriculum that they work from and the difference lies in the way they approach it.

Different forms of childcare in Sweden

You may have heard the term ‘parent cooperative preschool’ and wondered what it is, or wondered what happened to all the childminders that existed when you were growing up? Childcare in Sweden has changed over the years and is now based on three distinct pillars.

• Municipal preschool. As the name suggests, this is run by the municipality. Most municipalities offer slightly different educational approaches in their preschools. To find out more, go to the municipality’s website and read about the options available in your area.

• Independent preschool. There are a couple of different types: non-profit organisations running preschools, or they may be part of a larger education group. Parent cooperatives are also common –⁠ where parents are involved in managing and running the preschool. This option may suit those who want to be very involved in their child’s preschool activities. A ‘staff cooperative’ is another form of private preschool where the staff run it. Even in private preschools, there is almost always a programme or educational philosophy on which the child’s learning is based, so there is no difference between private and municipal preschools.
• Childminder. This is the childminder from your childhood – a municipal childminder who takes a small group of children into their home. A childminder can be a good alternative for those who feel that preschool is too big. Even a childminder has a curriculum to follow and the childminder needs to have either an educational qualification or experience in working with children to provide educational activities. One thing to check if you are leaning towards a childminder is what happens if the childminder falls ill – is the child then welcome at another childminder or preschool, or are you expected to take leave and look after your child at home?

Small groups are better

Most experts agree that small groups of children improve the quality of preschool programmes. The Swedish National Agency for Education recommends groups with a maximum of 12 toddlers aged 1–3 years per three full-time teachers. For 4–5-year-olds, the recommendation is a maximum of 15 children per group. It is then up to each municipality to decide how many children each preschool should accept, so the groups are frequently 16–17 children, or even more in larger cities. However, studies have shown that larger groups have disadvantages even if you try to compensate with more adults.

How do you know if a preschool is good?

So you're visiting a preschool for the first time in your life, and your own child feels so tiny that you can’t imagine that it will be as big as the children playing in front of you. What should you look out for? How do you know if the preschool is good and what questions to ask? Here’s a list of the most common things to look out for:

• How big are the groups of children? Smaller groups of children are usually good.
• How many teachers/staff are there per child? The more the better is a good rule of thumb.
• What is the level of staff turnover? If it is low, it may mean that employees are happy at work.
• What do you focus on, is there any particular educational philosophy that is important to you?
• What are the indoor and outdoor areas like?
• Do parents have the opportunity to influence, and if so, how?
• Are there sibling groups or mixed-age groups?
• How does the settling in period usually work, are you welcome to have a say in what you want?

If you like the answers to these questions, compare them with your gut feeling after the visit. What was the atmosphere like? How did the staff seem? How did they interact with your child, if you had them with you? First impressions are important and often right.

In the unlikely event that things end up going wrong and neither of you are happy with the choice you have made, it can be good to know that it is actually possible to change preschools. Young children adapt quickly, and although an educational philosophy may look good on paper, it may not suit how your child develops.

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.