The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has announced plans to implement two innovative programs aimed at developing preschool education — “eNursery” (єЯсла) and “eKindergarten” (єСадок).

The goal of these initiatives is to ensure real access for children to quality preschool education and to encourage local governments to create additional places in kindergartens.

According to Deputy Minister of Education Anastasia Konovalova, the current legal provision guaranteeing free preschool education does not actually ensure full-day attendance in kindergartens. The wording “up to 11 hours” may, in practice, mean only two or five hours, which limits families’ real access to kindergarten services.


Key features of the programs:

“eNursery” (єЯсла) — a project designed to support mothers of children aged 1 to 3 who are returning to work. It provides financial assistance to cover the costs of private or municipal childcare facilities, as well as nannies. The program is scheduled to launch on January 1, 2026.

“eKindergarten” (єСадок) — a compensation system for parents of children aged 3 and above if their community cannot provide a full-day kindergarten placement. In such cases, the family will receive a monetary payment equivalent to the assistance provided under the “eNursery” program.