The settling-in period (periodo de adaptación) and your work schedule

Key rules

• Length: Settling-in usually lasts one to three weeks.
• Paid leave: The law gives no paid time off just for settling-in, though some collective agreements do.
• Timing: Most nurseries start in early September, with new children entering in small groups.
• Parent presence: Whether you can stay depends on each nursery, so ask before the start.

What settling-in is

Settling-in is gradual attendance: your child builds up from short visits to a full day over days or weeks. Most nurseries run it from September, so you need to plan work cover before the term starts.

How long it lasts and how it builds up

It usually lasts one to three weeks. The youngest or most anxious children can take up to a month.

• First days: short sessions of about one hour.
• Then: a half day.
• By the end: the full schedule, including lunch and nap.

Many nurseries bring new children in small groups during the first days of September. You may be given a specific slot, so ask early.

Will you be able to stay?

It depends on the centre. Many nurseries let a parent stay in the classroom or nearby on the first day or first few days, then reduce this. Others, especially public escuelas infantiles, prefer you to leave your child at the door and stay reachable by phone. Some hold an introductory meeting and an open visit before the start. Ask which approach your nursery uses.

Joining mid-year

Private nurseries often accept children whenever a place is free, and each new child gets their own settling-in period. Public places are allocated in spring through the regional admission process, so mid-year entry there is mainly through leftover vacancies. Plan for a fresh settling-in period whenever your child starts.

Covering your work

No law gives you paid time off specifically for settling-in. Your options:

• Flexible hours or remote work. Employees have the right to request changes to hours and working arrangements to balance work and family life. You negotiate this with your employer, who can refuse for business needs.
• Nursing-hour leave (lactancia). This is a one-hour daily absence, which can be split in two, until your child is nine months old. Where a collective agreement or company agreement allows, you can bundle it into full days.
• Reduced working day. You can reduce your hours to care for a child under 12, with a proportional pay cut.
• Annual leave or unpaid leave.
• Your collective agreement. Some give paid time off for nursery adaptation. Check yours.

Self-employed workers are not covered by these employee rights, so you will need to arrange your own schedule.

Plan for short notice

Short one-hour sessions mean you may need to collect your child quickly. Line up a partner, relative or friend who can do it. The timeline and checklist below walk you through the steps. If your child struggles to settle, see the section on that situation.

Timeline and deadlines

• Ask the nursery for its settling-in plan and whether it holds an introductory meeting or open visit: before the start date, ideally in the weeks before September

• Talk to your employer about flexible hours, remote work or leave to cover the first days: before settling-in begins, so cover is agreed in advance

• Attend the first short sessions of about one hour, with a parent staying nearby if the nursery allows it: first days, often in a small staggered group in early September

• Move to half days as the nursery builds up attendance: after the first days

• Reach the full schedule, including lunch and nap: by the end of the settling-in, usually one to three weeks and up to a month for the youngest or most anxious children

Checklist

• Ask the nursery how long settling-in will last and how the sessions build up to the full day.

• Ask whether a parent can stay in the classroom or nearby, and for how many days.

• Ask your employer about flexible hours or remote work for the first weeks.

• Check your collective agreement for paid time off for a child's nursery adaptation.

• Decide whether to cover the days with annual leave, unpaid leave, or a reduced working day for a child under 12, which comes with a proportional pay cut.

• Arrange someone to collect your child at short notice during the first days of one-hour sessions.

What if your child will not settle or you must switch nursery?

Give it the full settling-in period before you decide, and read your contract before you give notice. Crying and clinginess in the first weeks are common. Leaving a nursery late can cost you a full extra month.

When it is normal

Settling-in usually lasts one to three weeks. Sometimes it takes up to a month for the youngest or more anxious children. Sessions start at about an hour and build up to a half day, then to the full day with lunch and nap.

Expect tears at drop-off and some upset in the evenings. These are usually signs that things are still in progress, especially if your child calms down soon after you leave.

Take it more seriously if, after the first month:

• Your child is still upset for most of the day, not only at drop-off.
• Eating, sleeping or mood have clearly got worse and are not improving.
• The staff cannot tell you what they are doing to help.

What to try first

1. Ask the teacher how the day actually goes after you leave.
2. Ask to slow the build-up: keep to shorter days, or stay at a half day for longer.
3. Keep drop-offs short and the same every day.

Give each change a week or two before you judge it.

What leaving costs

Most private nurseries want written notice of withdrawal before the end of the month, commonly 15 to 30 days. If your notice is late, they usually bill the next month in full. Some centres also keep the reservation or enrolment payment.

The exact period and charges are in your contract, so read it before you write to the nursery. Send your notice in writing and keep a copy. If a term looks unfair, such as a very long notice period, ask your town hall's consumer office.

Your fallback

Start looking at other nurseries early, even while you are still trying to make this one work. Visit one or two, ask whether they have a free place now, and ask about their settling-in routine. That way you can give notice at the right moment and avoid paying for two places at once.

If you decide to leave, time your notice so it falls before the end of the month. Then you pay only for the days your child actually needs.

Frequently asked questions

Can I stay in the classroom during settling-in?

Often yes, but it depends on the nursery: many let a parent stay in the classroom or nearby for the first day or first few days, then reduce this step by step. Public escuelas infantiles often prefer a quick drop-off at the door, with you reachable by phone. Ask whether there is an introductory meeting or open visit before the start.

Can my child start settling-in in the middle of the school year?

Yes, mainly at private nurseries, which commonly accept children mid-year whenever a place is free, and each new child gets their own settling-in period. Public places are allocated in spring, so mid-year entry there usually means a leftover vacancy.

Does Spanish law give me paid time off for settling-in?

No, the law gives no paid leave specifically for settling-in. Some collective agreements add paid time off, so check yours. Otherwise you can ask your employer to adapt your hours, use annual leave, or take unpaid leave.

Can the nursing-hour leave (lactancia) help me cover settling-in?

Yes, if your child is under nine months old: it gives you one hour off a day, which you can split in two. Some agreements let you add these hours together into full days of leave. Employees only: self-employed workers are not covered.