- Find out which preschool your child should go to based on your place of residence.
- Municipalities or municipal districts (as the preschool organizing bodies) publish a list of their preschools. Certain organising bodies “assign” your child to one of the preschools in the city, municipality or district, which is your “assigned preschool by default”. You are not obligated to enroll your child in this preschool, many parents choose a school based on the recommendation of their friends or other families who have experienced migration. You can also consult these matters with the Municipal Office, the Municipal Disctrict Office or the Integration Center.
- It is possible to file multiple applications in different schools. The organizing body (the municipality or municipal district) is required to secure a place in a preschool for all children who need to complete the compulsory pre-primary school year.
- Selection criteria for preschool admittance are defined by the school management and published on their website or their bulletin board. They usually asses: residence in the area, preschool age (5 years old), siblings in the same preschool. All children who are not attending the compulsory pre-primary school year at the moment of enrollement have to present a medical fitness certificate issued by a Czech pediatrician (it is also necessary to complete compulsory vaccination). Czech vaccination calendar slightly differs from the Ukrainian one, find all the necessary information regarding this matter well in advance.
- Vaccination calendars (i.e. lists of compulsory vaccines and the number of doses) might vary in different countries from the one in the Czech Republic. That is why you should find all the necessary information in time and consult the vaccination status with your pediatrician.
- Concerning small children they are usually required to be able to dress themselves and not to wear a diaper anymore.
For enrolling a child in preschool it is necessary to:
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- Pick up an Application for Admission to Preschool in the particular preschool (there is usually an electronic version on the school website) during March and April. In certain municipalities/municipal districts you can use an online pre-enrollment in which case you do not have to pick up the application form in preschool.
- Fill out and submit the application in the chosen preschool. Enrollment in preschool takes place between 6 and 16 May. The actual enrollment dates in the preschool of your choice can be found on the municipality or municipal district website.
- Present a filled-out application form, proof of completed compulsory vaccination issued by a doctor (for children under 5 years old only), child’s birth certificate (a photocopy is sufficient), proof of current residence (it determines the assigned preschool area) upon enrollment. You will also need the legal guardian’s identification document (passport, ID or a different valid identification document). The preschool might require an official translation of foreign documents.
- It is also advisable to find out prior to enrolling in preschool if you will need an interpreter and if so to arrange for these services. In some cases the preschool itself can help you in these matters.
- During the application assessment period — from 17 May onwards — preschools inform parents (by phone, mail or via email) if their child was admitted or not.
- If you submitted an application for admission to multiple preschools you need to inform the ones you do not choose about your child attending a different facility.
- Preschools are not obligated to admit all children outside of the compulsory pre-primary school education. Preschools in some regions do not have enough available places and that is why your child might not be admitted by the assigned preschool by default. In that case try to enquire about availability in a day care facility (tuition fee), maternity centers (group of individuals on parental leave and their children), youth centers which organize Centers for Preschool Children and clubs. You can also enquire in preschool, at the Municipal Office or in the Integration Center about free time activities available in you municipality, county or region.
Downloadable documents: