A solution to ensure kindergarten services become available to children from the age of one year needs to be found this year, said Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa after her meeting with President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs.
The head of the government said the way we treat each other in society, especially when it comes to parents with children, will be one of the government’s priorities for 2025.
According to the PM, making sure kindergarten services are available to the youngest children will be the main focus in this regard. She said there are countries around the world that offer kindergarten services to children starting with the age of one year.
The prime minister said such a solution could potentially assist in returning Latvian parents and children to Latvia.
Siliņa also said the approval of the Law on Sports is just as important this year, as it will surely help organise children’s and youth sports. According to her, this will also help young parents with activities for their children.
It was reported that in October last year, to improve the demographic situation, the Ministry of Welfare encouraged ensuring the availability of kindergartens from the age of one, to introduce additional childcare services, including, after the end of primary school, to review tax incentives and benefits, as well as to increase other support before and after the child enters the family, according to the report of the ministry on the demographic policy situation in the country.
To improve the demographic situation, the ministry proposes three directions of action – each child is a value, a quality living environment, as well as migration of the population and the promotion of re-entry.
Regarding the first direction – every child is a value – the ministry initiated several dozen new measures, most of which would require additional funding.
The ministry also proposed making kindergarten services available to children from the age of one, as well as providing them with free catering.
The ministry also encouraged those children who are not declared in the local government, but whose parents work in the local government, to be enrolled in the local government kindergarten. The Ministry of Welfare also suggested expanded groups, whose enrolment in kindergartens should be prioritized, for example, children whose parents have functional disorders, children from large families and children raised by one adult.
The ministry also proposed the creation of a more extensive system of care and babysitting for pre-school children, including temporary babysitting. Another suggestion was thinking about providing childcare outside kindergarten hours and after the end of primary school, as well as for children whose parents have non-standard working hours. Supervision in crisis situations should also be ensured.