Childcare & Support for Parents Who Are Students
Students have access to childcare discounts, both day care discounts for very young children and also preschool discounts later on.
Parental Leave
When a child enters a family in which one or both parents are students, they are entitled to a parental allowance, i.e.,regular payments from the Parental Leave Fund overseen by the Directorate of Labor.
Each eligible parent is independently entitled to a a parental allowance for three months. In addition, the parents are jointly entitled to three additional months, which they can assign as they see fit.
Applications must be submitted to the Parental Leave Fund no later than three weeks before the anticipated birth of the child.
Child Benefits
Child benefits are intended to assist parents with their children and as a way to equalize personal circumstances for all children. A predetermined amount is paid out to parents for each child until the child reaches the age of 18.
Day Care & Preschool Fees
Students are entitled to discounts on day care and preschool school fees for their children. A certificate indicating they are engaged in full-time studies must be submitted. Further information on price lists and discounts, together with application forms, can be obtained from the websites of preschools and day care facilities / child minders.
Students who have legal domicile in one municipality but intend to study in another may be granted an exemption and can apply for preschool and day care where they are studying. A certificate indicating they are engaged in full-time studies must be submitted, along with confirmation of their home municipality.
Icelandic Student Services operates a number of preschools for the children of students attending the University of Iceland. Parents studying at the Iceland Academy of the Arts, Reykjavík University or the University of Akureyri can also contact the appropriate local authorities for preschool enrollment. Local municipalities also operate preschools at three universities in rural areas, i.e., Hólar University College, Agricultural University of Iceland (Hvanneyri) and the Bifröst University.
Keep in Mind
Lists of available day care facilities and relevant information is available on local municipality websites.
Day care facilities and offerings vary provider to provider. You'll have to familiarize yourself with each provider. Not that the fees charged for day care are unregulated by the municipalities
You access information on rules about day care subsidies through local municipality websites.
Inform your day care provider about your child's daily habits, health and any changes in their lives.
Apply for a preschool school slot in the local municipality where the child is legally domiciled well in advance.
Find out about rules concerning preschool schools, as these may vary between municipalities, including:
when you can apply for a preschool slot for your child and when you can expect to be allotted a space
preschool fees, subsidies and discounts,
how to give notice of changes in a child's circumstances.