Children’s Groups Are Transforming Early Childhood Care in the Czech Republic, VŠE Research Shows

Research conducted by the Prague University of Economics and Business (VŠE) brings important insights into one of today’s key social issues: the availability of childcare for children under the age of three. In connection with this research, an article was published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Early Childhood, one of the most prestigious journals in the field (Q1).

The authors of the study are Lucie Milaniaková and Lucia Bartůsková from the Faculty of Economics, Department of Economics and Social Policy. Their work demonstrates that children’s groups have fundamentally changed the reality of early childhood care in the Czech Republic. While official statistics indicate that only 3% of children under three are in formal care, this figure rises to nearly 20% when children’s groups are included.

The study examines how children’s groups have developed in the Czech Republic since 2014, where they have been established, and how many children they are currently able to accommodate. The results show that for many families they represent a practical childcare option and a meaningful complement to traditional kindergartens. At the same time, children’s groups help reduce regional disparities, although in some areas availability remains limited due to lower household incomes and a limited availability of places.

“Without taking children’s groups into account, the picture of childcare for children under three in the Czech Republic is incomplete. Our research clearly shows that these services significantly expand the real availability of care,” explains Lucie Milaniaková.

The number of places in children’s groups has grown rapidly in recent years. While only 638 children under three attended them in 2015, by 2024 children’s groups were already offering more than 22,600 places. The study thus confirms that targeted public policy, often supported by European funding, can deliver long-term sustainable results.

“Children’s groups are an effective instrument of family policy, supporting not only children’s development but also parents’ employment, especially that of mothers,” adds Lucia Bartůsková.

The publication in the International Journal of Early Childhood, which ranks in the first quartile (Q1) of journals indexed in the Web of Science database, confirms the high academic quality of the research as well as its international relevance.

“Children’s groups represent an important tool of modern family policy. I am very pleased that research carried out at our faculty has not only strong academic merit but also a positive social impact,” adds Adéla Zubíková, Dean of the Faculty of Economics.

Bartůsková, L., Milaniaková, L. Children’s Groups as an Effective Form of Early Childhood Care in the Czech Republic. IJEC (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-025-00468-8

The full article is available here: http://bit.ly/4spfoau