Child care in Slovenia: an example of a successful transition

Slovenia is a country which has managed to retain most of its advantages and achievements in preschool child care attained in the socialist period, while, during the transition years, rather successfully reforming services according to principles of the market economy. The female activity rate has been high since the mid 1940s, and female employment has been the main factor influencing the demand for preschool child care services. Slovenian mothers work full-time and after 1 year of paid maternity and parental leave they mostly stay in the labour market. Child care facilities, 70% of them constructed in the period 1971-1985, are sufficient for almost 60% of the preschool population, and just a very small percentage of demand remains unmet. Child care services are traditionally highly subsidised. On average, parents finance up to a quarter of the current costs, so that the average in-kind transfer for a child in child care amounts to about 30% of the average net salary. Social assistance recipients are exempt from paying fees altogether, while the rest of the parents pay from 15% to 80% of the current costs. The highest fee is paid by families with a per capita income > 110% of the average salary in Slovenia. Research into the burden of parental fees for child care in Ljubljana in 1994 has shown that three-quarters of families spent between 5 and 15% of their total net income on child care (for one or more children). For three-quarters of families, the total of fees paid did not exceed 30% of their net income per family member. The lower middle income group was relatively most burdened by child care fees.