Childcare options for a child under 3 in Spain

Terms used

• Escuela infantil — The escuela infantil is a nursery for children from birth to age 3, in the optional first cycle of early education.
• Educación infantil — The educación infantil is Spain's early education stage for ages 0 to 6, split into a first cycle (0-3) and a second (3-6).
• Concertada — A concertada is a privately run centre that receives public funding.
• Madre de día — A madre de día is a home-based childminder who looks after a few children in her own home.

Key rules

• Nursery: Nursery before age 3 is optional and not free by default.
• Regional rules: Regions set the rules, supply and names, so check what exists in your area.
• Childminders: Home-based childminders have no general national regulation, so ask your region whether they are recognised.
• Who to ask: Your town hall's education office is the first place to ask about public places.

Group sizes, fees, the public and private split, and childminder recognition vary by region and town, so confirm them with your town hall or regional education department.

The short answer

Spain has five realistic options for a child under 3: a public nursery, a private nursery, a nanny, a childminder, or help from family. Nursery is optional, and it is not free by default. What is on offer, and what it is called, differs by region and by town.

Nurseries (escuelas infantiles)

A nursery is called an escuela infantil. It belongs to the first cycle of educación infantil, which covers ages 0 to 3. It is the first stage of the school system, but you do not have to use it.

There are three kinds of centre:

• Public: run by the region or, often, by the town hall.
• Private: run by a company or an individual, with fees set by the centre.
• Concertada: a private centre that receives public funding.

Some nurseries are attached to a primary school.

Nationally, private centres hold roughly half or a little more of the places. The split varies a lot. Public nurseries are stronger in the Basque Country, Navarra, Asturias and parts of Madrid. Private ones dominate in regions such as Andalucía, Valencia and Murcia. Where you live therefore shapes your choices.

Regions set the rules for nurseries: staff qualifications, group sizes and which centres are authorised. Staff are normally early-childhood technicians, and a qualified teacher directs the centre. Group sizes are usually small for babies and grow with age. Typical maximums are about 8 children under 1, 13 for ages 1 to 2, and 20 for ages 2 to 3, though regions vary.

Fees and how you apply for a public place also depend on your region and town hall. Ask your town hall's education office, or the regional education department, what is available where you live and when applications open.

Nanny

A nanny looks after your child, usually in your home. It is the most flexible option, because the hours are yours to set. You are the employer, so check with a local adviser what contract and social security registration you need before you start.

Childminder (madre de día)

A madre de día looks after a few children in her own home. There is no general national regulation of this model. A few regions have regulated or piloted it, including Navarra, the Basque Country and Galicia. Elsewhere it often has no clear legal recognition as an educational service, and informal childminding is often unregistered work. Before you use one, ask your regional education department whether the model is recognised where you live, and what the childminder must have in place.

Family help

Many families rely on grandparents or other relatives, alone or alongside a nursery. It costs little and is flexible. It depends on relatives living close by and being able to help.

How to start

1. Ask your town hall which public nurseries are near you and when applications open.
2. Visit one or two private nurseries and ask about age of entry, hours and fees.
3. Decide whether you also need a nanny or other help to cover hours the nursery does not.

The comparison table and quick answers below set the options side by side.

Nursery, nanny, childminder and family help side by side

The short version

For a child under 3, public nurseries are cheapest and nannies cost most for a full day. Childminders are rare and exist only in some regions. From age 3, school is free in public and concertado (state-subsidised private) schools, so this comparison mostly matters for the first three years.

Side by side

What being a nanny's employer means

• Register as an employer with the Seguridad Social, and register the nanny before the first day of work.
• Put the contract in writing. This is required if it lasts 4 weeks or more.
• Pay at least the minimum wage pro rata, with two extra payments a year.
• Give 30 days of annual holiday and 36 consecutive hours of weekly rest.
• Pay unemployment contributions and carry out a risk assessment. Both have been required since 2023.
• If you end the job by your own decision, give 20 days' notice if it lasted more than a year, otherwise 7 days. Pay 12 days of wages per year worked.

Check the current minimum wage with the Ministry of Labour and the current contribution tables with the Seguridad Social.

How to choose by working pattern

• Full-time job, office hours: a nursery with extended hours, or a nanny. Ask each nursery what early drop-off and late pick-up cost.
• Part-time work: a nursery with part-time places, an hourly nanny, or a childminder paid by the hour.
• Shifts or irregular hours: a nanny or family help. Nurseries rarely fit changing timetables.
• Tight budget: apply for a public nursery first. Places are limited and vary widely by region.

Where to check real prices

Fees differ widely, even between neighbouring towns. Ask your town hall or regional education department for public nursery fees and any free-place schemes. Several regions, including Galicia, the Basque Country and Madrid, offer grants or free places for some ages. Ask each private nursery for its fees and its working language.

Quick answers on childcare for under-3s in Spain

Is nursery compulsory for a child under 3 in Spain?

No, nursery before age 3 is voluntary, and school only becomes compulsory at age 6. Many families still use it, and the later infant cycle from 3 to 6 is also optional but very widely used.

Is nursery free in Spain before age 3?

No, nursery before age 3 is not free nationally, although some regions subsidise it or make parts of it free. Schooling from age 3 to 6 is free in public and state-subsidised schools, but meals, extended hours and activities are paid extra.

How young can a baby start at a nursery in Spain?

Most nurseries take babies from 16 weeks, when birth leave ends. Some regions admit babies from 4 months, and some private nurseries accept them from a few weeks old. Private nurseries can enrol all year if they have places.