Israeli NGO Proposes National Early Childhood Education Reform to Increase State Funding and Reduce Parental Costs

Following a tragic incident in a Jerusalem daycare where two toddlers died and about 50 were injured, the NGO 121, through its initiative "In Good Hands - The Headquarters for Investment in Early Childhood," presented a comprehensive national plan for early childhood education from birth to age three. The plan, submitted on Sunday, estimates an additional annual cost of approximately 8 billion shekels for full implementation. It addresses the current situation where about one-third of toddlers in Israel are in unregulated settings, and parents bear around 70% of daycare costs.

Currently, Israel has roughly 550,000 children under three, with only 40% in regulated frameworks. The proposal aims to reduce group sizes significantly, as current groups can reach up to 30 toddlers, far exceeding international recommendations. The plan also highlights the critical developmental period up to age three, when the brain reaches 90% of its final volume, emphasizing the importance of quality education to reduce developmental gaps.

The proposal points out that Israel invests less than one-tenth of the OECD average in early childhood education, resulting in high parental financial burdens and inadequate staff-to-child ratios. For example, Israeli law allows one educator per six toddlers under 15 months, compared to one per three in developed countries. Group sizes are also much larger than recommended, with up to 30 toddlers in a group for ages two to three, versus eight in American guidelines. The sector faces a workforce crisis, with only 220 hours of required training and about half of educators lacking professional qualifications.

The plan suggests expanding government oversight to all settings with three or more toddlers, lowering group sizes to one educator per three toddlers for ages six months to one year, and ensuring lead educators hold a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. It also proposes increasing salaries, linking them to kindergarten teacher wages, and establishing ongoing professional training. Financially, the state would increase subsidies, reducing average parental payments from about 70% of costs to roughly 2,000 shekels monthly, with total funding per toddler around 4,000 shekels.

Currently, the government invests about 2 billion shekels annually in early childhood education. The new program would require an additional 8 billion shekels yearly, assuming 342,000 toddlers enroll. The plan also recommends extending maternity leave to 26 weeks, costing an estimated 3.7 billion shekels. A cost-benefit analysis by Numerix estimates the program's economic benefits at 26.4 billion shekels, including increased parental workforce participation, higher future earnings for children, and reduced crime, yielding a net benefit of about 14.2 billion shekels.

Tali Nir, chair and founder of NGO 121, stressed that Israel's low investment leads to overcrowded daycares and difficulties in recruiting qualified educators. She said the proposed national program aims to ensure quality, subsidized, and accessible early childhood education through improved standards, educator training, and expanded state responsibility. The "In Good Hands" coalition is now urging political parties to commit to establishing an interministerial team led by the Ministry of Education to develop and fund a national early childhood education plan after the upcoming elections.