Report Reveals Israel’s Early Childhood Education Lags Behind OECD with Critical Funding and Quality Gaps

A new report by the social coalition "In Good Hands," led by the nonprofit 121, exposes significant deficiencies in Israel's early childhood education system for children aged 0 to 3. The government invests only $1,225 per toddler annually, a twelfth of the OECD average of $14,400, ranking Israel last among developed countries. Chronic shortages in daycare availability, staff, and quality standards characterize the sector, with only about 20% of children subsidized and less than half of daycare centers supervised by the state.

The report highlights that Israeli daycare staff require only 220 hours of training, far below the academic or professional qualifications mandated in most developed countries. Caregiver-to-child ratios are double the recommended levels, with groups often exceeding 20 toddlers, and the physical space per child is significantly smaller than international norms. These conditions persist despite extensive research showing that early childhood investment yields high returns, including improved educational outcomes, reduced crime, and economic benefits estimated at five times the investment.

Currently, approximately 550,000 children under three live in Israel, representing 9% of the population, higher than the OECD average due to Israel's higher fertility rate and shorter paid maternity leave. The report also reveals stark disparities in daycare participation among different sectors, with only 13% of Arab children and 22% of non-Haredi Jewish children enrolled in subsidized care compared to 38% of Haredi children.

The fragmented responsibility for early childhood education across three ministries, Education, Welfare, and Labor, complicates policy and funding coordination. The coalition proposes a national plan to integrate early childhood education fully into the education system, increase subsidies to around 4,000 shekels per month per child, reduce group sizes, improve staff qualifications, and centralize oversight under the Ministry of Education.

Implementing this plan would require an additional 8 billion shekels annually but is projected to generate a net economic benefit of approximately 14.2 billion shekels per birth cohort over time. The coalition urges all political parties to commit to adopting this comprehensive strategy to address Israel’s underinvestment and improve developmental outcomes for its youngest citizens.