Household payments for kindergarten, 15 January 2008, January

The survey results revealed only marginal changes in fees both in public and private kindergartens. Most kindergartens seem to have adjusted to the ceiling price of NOK 2330 set in January 2007 by the Norwegian Parliament.

Monthly kindergarten fees remain stable

From August 2007 to January 2008 the survey discovered some slight increases in kindergarten fees At the national level, families with an annual income of NOK 250 000 paid an average NOK 2 089 in monthly fees excluding food and additional costs for a public kindergarten place in January 2008. In comparison, families with an annual income of NOK 500 000 paid NOK 2 297 on average.

The average minimum monthly fee excluding food and additional costs was NOK 1 537 in January 2008. Kindergarten fees ranged from NOK 777 in Oslo to fees close to the maximum fee in the counties of Møre and Romsdal, Nordland and Nord-Trøndelag. The large variations in the minimum fees are results of income-differentiated payment systems which are more used in the eastern part of Norway than in the west-coast and in the north, where flat rates are used to a greater extent.

As of January 2008, the monthly kindergarten fee excluding food and additional costs for families with one child in a private kindergarten averaged NOK 2 251, virtually no change from August 2007. The region of Northern Norway had the highest average monthly fee, at NOK 2 282, while the south-western region Agder/Rogaland had the lowest fee, at NOK 2 108.

Food and additional fees cause increased payment on yearly bases

In accordance with the regulation on household payments in kindergartens, payments for food costs can be charged in addition to the regular fees. The results show that the annual kindergarten fee for families with one child paying the minimum fee averaged NOK 18 300 in January 2008, 0.3 percent more than in August 2007. Families paying the maximum fee paid NOK 26 833, which gives an increase of 0.4 per cent.

The annual kindergarten fee is determined by the monthly fee, food and additional costs, in addition to the number of months of payment. Food and additional costs were at average NOK 178 and NOK 55 respectively in January 2008, compared to NOK 170 and NOK 30 respectively in January last year. There seems to be more use of this kind of additional payment when regulating fees after the ceiling price was implemented.

The annual kindergarten payment for one child in private kindergarten averaged NOK 27 156. The Trøndelag region had the highest annual payment, at NOK 27 705, while Agder/Rogaland had the lowest fee, at NOK 25 726. This represented an increase of 0.3 per cent from August 2007.

Price reduction systems in public kindergartens

Regulations on household payments in kindergartens state that all municipalities must offer reduced payment or payment exemption to families with low income. However, the municipalities are free to decide whether the municipality shall offer income-differentiated payment in public kindergartens. The results from the survey show that the majority of municipalities have a flat payment rate, which means that the fee is the same regardless of household income. 23 per cent of the municipalities use income-differentiated payment within the kindergartens’ ordinary payment system. However, because the most densely populated municipalities are those that make use of income-differentiated payment, nearly half of all children in kindergartens belong to an income-differentiated payment regime.

Results also show that all municipalities offer price reductions for households with two or more children in kindergarten. In addition, 88 per cent of the municipalities report that private kindergartens in the municipalities use the same price reduction system. Among these, 22 per cent uses income-differentiated payment.