Stockholm - Childcare and baby-sitting
Daily child care
It is a well-accepted fact that in a Swedish family both parents are working and following their own careers. More than 74% of mothers with children under 13 years of age work in Sweden. That is why Swedish work laws provide leave of absence for a parent who has to take care of his/her sick child up to a maximum of 120 days per year at a 75% normal income. 80% of women between the age of 16 and 64 are in work - one of the highest in Europe. This is mainly due to the universal availability of child day care facilities.
To help take care of children especially between the hours when the school ends and their parents return from work, leisure centers (Fritidsgård) have been opened. And when the season allows it, outdoor supervised playtime (Parklek) has been organized. That means that when parents are working children in particular between the age of 9 and 12 can play in various parks in Stockholm in the afternoon. The person in charge of the supervision does not take responsibilities for the children but will help them by organizing activities for them.
The municipalities provide day nurseries, family day nurseries and leisure centres. The children have access to child care amenities from the age of 12 months. The opening hours are weekdays between 6.30 am and 6.30 pm all year. There is often a waiting list so contact them as soon as possible. All children are entitled to attend nursery school free of charge after they are six years old. Some families start cooperatives and hire a person to take care of the children in their own homes. Each family host the children on a rotating schedule. It is often called three family system. Private solutions are becoming increasingly common amongst families.
English nurseries
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Bellmanskällan Montessori Nursery School
Mälarhöjden
in southwest Stockholm
Tel: + 46 (0)8 97 32 05
email: [email protected]
website: www.bellmanskallan.se
Birgitta Westman, Principal -
British Primary School
Östra Valhallavägen 17
182 62
Djursholm
Tel: + 46 (0)8 755 2375
Fax: + 46 (0)8 755 2635
email: [email protected] -
Crickets and Dragonflies
Tel: + 46 (0)8 508 13116
Registration (Sofia Lundvåll)
Tel: + 46 (0)8 508 13146.
Municipal English-speaking daycare in Södermalm -
Humpty Dumpty Nursery School
Karlaplan 19B
115 20
Stockholm
Tel: + 46 (0)8 663 1635
Admissions coordinator Amanda Berling (weekdays 6 - 8 pm at 08-6128641).
Visits Tel: + 46 (0)8 663 16 35. -
Katrinebergs Förskola
Katrinebergsbacken 24
117 61
Stockholm
Tel: + 46 (0)8 19 78 77
fax: + 46 (0)8 19 78 77
email: [email protected]
Pre-school for one to six-year olds -
Planet Kids Nursery School
For children aged 18 months to 6 years.
Östermalm, close to the Karlaplan. The school is next to a park and playground and very close to Djurgården and Gärdet.
Gyllenstiernsg. 15
115 26
Stockholm
Tel: + 46 (0)8 662 1468 (Östermalm)
website: www.planetkids.se -
Rainbow Music and Drama
Tel: + 46 (0)8 660 57 17
BABY-SITTING
It is not easy to find proper baby sitters in Stockholm. Any form of hired help is very expensive here so parents tend to use the son/daughter of people they know well to look after their child when needed. But usually it is through "word-of-mouth" in your child's school that you come to know of someone good and reliable who is prepared to do the job at a reasonable price.
