Tyrol launches childcare placement right for children aged two

Tyrol has launched a right to be assigned a childcare place from the age of two, with 11,600 children already registered through the Frida online platform and places allocated in municipalities, ORF reported.

The right was adopted by Tyrol’s black-red state government. Its origins date back to 2022, when it was included in the coalition agreement. Implementation began in 2024, and the Frida registration platform went online at the end of 2025.

From Monday, when the school year begins in the state, the first year of the programme, officially called the “right to child education and childcare” by the state government, will begin. At the newly built Angedair kindergarten in Landeck, 96 children will receive full-day, year-round care.

Governor Anton Mattle of the Austrian People’s Party said the programme gave parents freedom of choice for the first time and would significantly improve the compatibility of family and work. He said pilot regions and a coordination office had helped prepare the system.

Deputy Governor Philip Wohlgemuth of the Social Democratic Party described the launch as the implementation of a shared political vision. He said the programme was intended to provide good, fair and equal childcare and promote equal opportunities.

The state government has recommended a fee of 1.20 euros per child per hour, but municipalities can set their own charges. Education Minister Cornelia Hagele said a uniform system should be in place by 2030. Municipalities currently charge both less and more than the recommended amount.

Hagele said additional funding from the state’s early education department could encourage municipalities to adopt the 1.20 euro rate. Landeck Mayor Herbert Mayer said the newly built kindergarten provided the facilities needed to implement the government’s new childcare concept.