Monitor Toolbox
Early childhood education and care
“At least 96% of children between 3 years old and the starting age for compulsory primary education should participate in early childhood education and care by 2030.”
Main indicator
The share of children between age 3 and each country’s starting age for compulsory primary education participating in early childhood education and care (ECEC). Annual data from Eurostat based on the administrative UNESCO-UIS/OECD/Eurostat (UOE) data collection.
A closer look
The main indicator based on the administrative UOE data collection can be broken down by age, sex, and region.
Other possible breakdowns are by type of institution or intensity of participation.
Context
- Age from which a place in ECEC is guaranteed.
- Gap between leave and place guarantee in ECEC.
- ECEC free of charge and guaranteed places.
- Minimum qualification level required to enter ECEC core practitioner profession.
- Regular assistants in ECEC.
- Minimum qualification level required to be employed as assistant in ECEC settings.
- Status of continuing professional development of ECEC core practitioners.
- Minimum number of defined hours of continuing professional development.
- ECEC curricula.
Related targets
The Barcelona targets, first set in 2002 by the European Council, have been revised as part of the larger European Care Strategy.
The 2022 Council Recommendation on ECEC sets two new Barcelona targets for 2030, recommending that:
- at least 45% of children below the age of 3 participate in formal childcare, with specific targets applying to Member States that have yet to reach the 2002 goals (EU-SILC data).
- at least 96% of children between the age of 3 and the starting age for compulsory primary education participate in ECEC (UOE data).