Choosing and settling into nursery

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain with a young child. You will know how to pick a centre, what you sign, and how nursery days, illness and communication work.

Start with "Finding and visiting a private nursery you can trust". It shows you how to shortlist, visit and compare centres on quality, staffing, hours, food and language. After that, read "What you sign when you enrol in a private nursery" before you pay anything or sign.

Public admission rules, costs and aid, pediatrician registration and early intervention (atención temprana) are covered in other topics.

Key rules

• Children per unit: The national minimum allows at most 8 children per unit under 1 year, 13 for 1 to 2 years and 20 for 2 to 3 years, and some regions set lower limits.
• Settling-in length: Settling-in usually lasts one to three weeks, starting with short sessions of about one hour and building up to the full day.
• Notice to leave: Most private nurseries ask for written notice of withdrawal before the end of the month, commonly 15 to 30 days, and bill the next month in full if notice is late; check the exact period in your contract.
• Authorisation: Only shortlist centres you can find in the regional register as a first-cycle infant school.
• Group size: Count children per room on your visit and compare with the legal limits for their age.
• Guardería: The word has no legal standing, so authorisation matters more than the name on the sign.

Choosing and settling into nursery: the whole process, step by step

• Check the centre is authorised and what its label means: before you shortlist, at the start

• Visit and compare private centres on staffing, hours, food and language: before you choose a place

• Check opening hours and extended-hours options, such as early arrival from 7:30 and late pick-up until 18:00 or 19:00: during your visits, and get them in writing

• Read the contract: fees, August and notice terms: before you sign and pay the matrícula (enrolment fee)

• Ask how August is billed, whether a full fee, a reduced reservation fee or a separate summer school: before you sign

• Plan your work schedule and any leave for the settling-in period: in the weeks before the start date

• Start the settling-in period (periodo de adaptación): usually early September, lasting one to three weeks; mid-year starts are possible when a private place is free

• Plan cover for days your child is ill: before the first illness; there is no general paid leave for ordinary illness, so check your collective agreement

• Give written notice if you decide to leave: 15 to 30 days before the end of the month; late notice means the next month is billed in full

Documents you may need

• Employer or collective agreement paperwork if you need leave for a hospitalised — Nursery rules on illness, allergies and vaccination

• Health insurance card — Nursery rules on illness, allergies and vaccination

• Medical certificate or report from the paediatrician or allergist — Nursery rules on illness, allergies and vaccination

• Negative certificate from the Central Register of Sex Offenders — Nursery safety standards and how to complain

• Vaccination record — Nursery rules on illness, allergies and vaccination

• Doctor's note or paediatrician clearance to return after certain contagious — Nursery rules on illness, allergies and vaccination

Choosing and settling into nursery: questions that cross several articles

Can any place that looks after under-3s call itself a nursery?

No, a place that cares for children under 3 needs regional authorisation, and many regions bar unauthorised centres from calling themselves an escuela infantil. Guardería is an everyday word with no legal status. Read "Does the label matter, nursery (escuela infantil) or daycare (guardería)?" and "Nursery safety standards and how to complain".

How do I check that a nursery is authorised?

Search the regional education department's directory of centres by name or municipality, and check the type is escuela infantil, first cycle. Ask the centre for its authorisation resolution, centre code and authorised places. See "Finding and visiting a private nursery you can trust" and "Nursery safety standards and how to complain".

What staff and group sizes should I expect at a nursery?

Teaching staff must hold an infant education degree or the vocational Técnico Superior in Educación Infantil, and the director must be a degree holder. Groups are capped at 8 children under 1 year, 13 for 1 to 2 years and 20 for 2 to 3 years, and some regions set lower limits. Read "Does the label matter, nursery (escuela infantil) or daycare (guardería)?" and "Finding and visiting a private nursery you can trust".

Will a nursery cope with my child's allergy or special diet?

Most nurseries adapt menus for allergies, intolerances and religious or family choices if you ask, usually with a paediatrician's or allergist's report and the centre's form. A centre with its own kitchen finds this easier, and some ask you to supply food and may charge a supplement. See "Nursery rules on illness, allergies and vaccination" and "Finding and visiting a private nursery you can trust".

How will I hear about my child's day if my Spanish is limited?

Nurseries share food, naps, mood and activities through a paper agenda, an app, or both, and smaller centres may use WhatsApp or email. Ask which one the centre uses and whether photos need your consent. Read "A typical nursery day and what to pack" and "Talking with nursery staff when your Spanish is limited".