Kindergarten Placement

If your child is born between January and July, they are entitled to a kindergarten placement in August of the year they turn one. If your child turns one in August, September, October, or November, they are entitled to a kindergarten placement starting in the month they turn one. However, if your child turns one in December, they are not entitled to a kindergarten placement until the following August.

The municipality ensures a coordinated admissions process for all kindergartens in the area, but each kindergarten can set its own purpose, admission criteria, selection area, and ownership structure.

Children aged 0–6 years residing in the municipality.

The following children are given priority in the admissions process:

• Children with disabilities
• Children under the care of the child welfare services
• Children in need of assistance from the child welfare services

In addition, kindergartens have their own specific admission criteria.

Barn i flerspråklige familier
Framework Plan for Kindergartens
Rett til barnehageplass
Utdanningsdirektorates nettside om barnehager

• Health clinics
• Educational-Psychological Service
• Child welfare authorities

The municipality is required by law to provide this service. See in particular

Forskrift om saksbehandling ved barnehageopptak
Barnehageloven
Barnevernsloven
Forskrift om foreldrebetaling i barnehager
Forskrift om rammeplan for barnehagens innhold og oppgaver
Forskrift om familiebarnehager

You must apply for a kindergarten placement using the municipality’s application form.

If you qualify for reduced fees or free core time, you must submit a separate application once per year.

If your child qualifies for priority admission, you must include a statement from an expert authority with your application.

Placement is assigned based on the established admission criteria for the kindergarten. Your preferences and needs will be given significant consideration in the admission process. You will be notified in writing about whether your child has been granted a placement and in which kindergarten.

If you did not receive your first choice, you have the right to be placed on the waiting list for that kindergarten. When additional placements become available during the kindergarten year, applicants from the waiting list will be offered spots in accordance with the admission criteria.

If your child is not offered a placement, you will receive written notification. You will also be informed of your right to request a justification for the decision, your right to appeal, and the deadline for submitting an appeal.

If your child qualifies for priority admission but was not offered a placement, you have the right to receive a written explanation, information about your right to appeal, and the appeal deadline.

Applications for Reduced Fees and Free Core Time

The municipality collects the necessary documentation regarding household members and household income before making a decision.

You can appeal if:

• Your application for a kindergarten placement was rejected.
• You were offered a placement but not at your first or second choice.
• Your application for reduced kindergarten fees or free core time was denied.

The appeal must be submitted within three weeks of receiving the decision. If you request a justification for the decision, the appeal deadline is three weeks from the date you receive the explanation.

If the municipality determines that your child should have been offered the desired placement, they will be given the next available spot after children with a statutory right to priority admission have been placed.

If your appeal is not upheld, the case will be forwarded to the municipal appeals board, which will make the final decision.