The Minister of Educational Development and Vocational Training, María del Carmen Castillo, has reported that the number of private centers affiliated with the Family Assistance Program of the Andalusian Government has increased by 24% in the last six years, equivalent to 293 more, reaching a total of 1,483. In total, for the next 2025/26 academic year, there will be a total of 2,204 centers that make up the network of early childhood education centers in Andalusia, including public schools.
The success of the Andalusian model of public-private collaboration, «a benchmark in Spain, is not a coincidence, given that since 2019 the Andalusian Government has been promoting enrollment and the quality of educational care in this stage with a 15% increase in investment per student,» emphasized the Minister.
Castillo defended in the Parliament the new Decree that regulates the operation of centers that provide the first cycle of Early Childhood Education in Andalusia, which includes free services for all two-year-old children in socio-educational care, both in the nursery schools of the Andalusian Government and in the centers affiliated with the family assistance program.
In this way, more than 64,000 potential beneficiaries will be enrolled in the upcoming academic year, all two-year-old children in Andalusia. This measure, as highlighted by Castillo, responds to «a commitment made» by the Andalusian Government to Andalusian families and represents a real advancement in rights and opportunities,» and she added that «we are taking this step forward hand in hand with the nursery schools sector and with regulations that respect the Andalusian model and the indivisibility of the cycle.»
In her speech, the Minister explained that the two-year-old age group is where most children are enrolled in this stage, with an approximate enrollment rate of 72% this academic year. This progress in free services involves an investment of 40 million euros, an economic effort fully assumed by the Government, in addition to the 250 million allocated in assistance to families with children enrolled in the first cycle of Early Childhood Education this academic year, totaling 290 million euros.
The Decree establishes the roadmap to continue advancing towards the full gratuity of socio-educational care services throughout the first cycle, so that within a year, a plan will be outlined to address the gratuity in the 0 and 1-year-old age groups, within a maximum horizon of six years. This means that the 2025-26 academic year will be one where two models coexist: the zero and one-year-old model, which will maintain current conditions, and the two-year-old model, with free education for all in the socio-educational service.
In this regard, the Minister pointed out that it will be «a key academic year» to evaluate the functioning of the new measures and make the necessary adjustments. The Minister detailed the main characteristics of the new model, which aligns with the majority of autonomous communities that have already implemented similar models.
As a novelty, a three-service model has been designed for the two-year-old students’ academic year, with the main service, socio-educational care, being completely free for all families, and a subsidized meal service based on income. Both services will form a continuous schedule from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, with early morning classes from 7:30 to 9:00 am, and afternoon classes from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. Both services will have discounts for families with fewer resources based on income.