On Tuesday, the Tallinn city government approved a draft regulation that will lower the kindergarten fee to €50 per child starting April 1, and to €56 in kindergartens that offer swimming lessons. Currently, these fees are €71.25 and €78.26 per child, respectively.

For children attending private kindergartens and childcare facilities, Tallinn will maintain the same support amount, which will also remain at €71.25 per child per month from April 1.

Reducing kindergarten fees is included in Tallinn's coalition agreement and was agreed upon during this year's city budget negotiations, said Mayor Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE).

Deputy Mayor for Education Aleksei Jašin (Eesti 200) said without subsidies, the current kindergarten fee would be €108 per month.

Since 2021, the previous city government had frozen fee increases, but this freeze came at the expense of kindergartens' own funds, as the city did not provide additional money, Jašin noted.

"This year's budget includes compensation for kindergartens, so this decision will not worsen their financial situation," he said.

In November 2024, approximately 19,500 children were attending Tallinn's municipal preschools, with 6,271 of them currently exempt from paying fees due to income-based exemptions or exemptions for second and subsequent children.

The expected negative impact of lowering the parental fee on the city budget is projected to be €2.4 million this year and approximately €3.2 million annually from 2026 onward.

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