Preschool - what it is and how it works
Preschool is a fun, safe and educative place for children of ages 1-6 years. In preschool, your child gets to explore, play and learn through activities that nurture their development in different areas, such as language, mathematics, and science.
It is also a place for singing, painting, writing, and creating together. Preschool is the first step in the Swedish school system and lays the foundations for lifelong learning.
As a guardian, you can choose between a municipal preschool, an independent preschool, and traditional daycare, of which the last two are run independently.
Through the link below, you can access the short film “Preschool is here for your child” at the bottom of the page. It shows how a day at preschool can look like.
Utbildningsguiden - About preschools (including short film)
External link, opens in new window.
Your child must have turned one year old when he or she starts preschool. You can apply if you are working, studying, on parental leave, or actively looking for work.
There may also be other reasons to why your child gets a placement in preschool, such as physical or psychological reasons due to the family’s situation, or a need for special developmental support for your child.
From the year your child turns three, he or she is entitled to attend free preschool for 15 hours a week, starting from the autumn term (mid-August). This setup is offered whether the guardians have an occupation or not. Usually, it means that the child attends preschool on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The team of adults are preschool teachers and staff trained to work with children. Together, they educate and care for the children throughout the day.
Regular preschools are open Monday to Friday. The opening hours are normally 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but it may vary.
For families where the guardians work outside of office hours such as in the nights and/ or in weekends, there are designated preschools for this, with different opening hours. They are called ´OB-förskola´.
Read more about how OB-förskola works here.
Most preschools are closed during four weeks of summer - normally from mid-July to mid-August - as this is the big vacation period for Swedes. However, there are always a few preschools open for families who need childcare in this period. Read more about preschools in summer here. 
External link.
Yes. The charge is based on how many hours your child attends preschool and your household’s total income. Read more about the preschool fee on this site:
Yes. All children in the age span one to six years are welcome to attend preschool, regardless of the language spoken at home. Young children tend to easily learn multiple languages at once.
Yes. To be able to offer the best possible support for your child, please reach out to our customer service at +46 910 73 50 00 and press 2.
In traditional family daycare, your child is cared for in a small group of children in a private home, while the children’s parents are studying, working or looking for work.
Read more about independent preschools and alternative educational care here:
Independent preschools and educational care External link.