If you plan to send your child to a daycare center or kindergarten next year, there is work to do starting at the end of this month. The Ministry of Education will open applications for the 2027 school year on November 2, and the portal will let you register your child and save favorite facilities from October 28. Most paperwork can now be handled online. This guide is based on the ministry announcement and news reports, checked on October 17, 2026, and sets out what parents should prepare in order.

The new schedule: October 28 and November 2

Two dates matter. From October 28 you can register your child on the integrated childcare and kindergarten portal and save the daycare centers and kindergartens you like. Applications start on November 2. Membership sign-up is open at any time, so you can join now rather than wait for the 28th. Result announcements and enrollment dates differ by type of facility and region, so this article does not state them. Check the portal notices and each facility's guidance before you apply.

One portal instead of two

Kindergartens used to take applications through one system and daycare centers through another. The two have since been merged into a single portal, and this year you search and apply for both in one place. The difference between the two systems, and why they were separate, is explained in Kindergartens and daycare centers use different application channels. This article covers the flow after the channels were combined.

Saving a favorite is not applying

The favorites feature saves the facilities you search for into one list. When you apply, you can pick from the list instead of searching again. But saving a facility does not guarantee a place or give you a waiting-list number. You still have to complete the application after November 2 in the way the portal requires. Think of it as preparation, not practice.

Up to 20 documents can be checked online

The system links to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's public MyData so that the administrative information needed to confirm eligibility can be used online. It covers 6 documents for daycare centers and 14 for kindergartens, up to 20 in all. That means more cases where you no longer have to request a family relation certificate or a resident registration copy and submit it yourself. There is also a feature that pulls in your family information so you can register a child in one click. The link does not remove every document, though, and proof for priority categories such as multiple children or dual-income families may still be requested under each facility's rules.

Parents of children aged 0 to 5 will get alerts

The ministry says it will notify parents of children aged 0 to 5 in advance about application dates and how to search for facilities through "Welfare Membership," a mobile alert service. Even if no alert reaches you, your eligibility does not disappear, so it is safest to write the dates on your own calendar. If you have not joined Welfare Membership, now is a good time to sign up and turn on alerts.

What to write down before you choose a facility

Before you build your favorites list, decide your household's criteria. Write down whether you can reach the facility on foot from home or work, the hours you need care, and whether a shuttle runs. Pick-up time matters most for dual-income families. Daycare centers have set basic care hours, with extended care after that. If you need care beyond regular hours, see part-time childcare at an hourly rate as another option. Kindergartens run after-school programs on different schedules, so check each notice. Facilities in the same neighborhood differ in meals, shuttles, and capacity, so compare three or four rather than saving only one.

Waiting lists and priority are a separate question

Daycare waiting-list order is set by points, not by who applied first, and kindergartens follow the admission guidelines each provincial education office announces, with different priority groups and dates. The points system is explained in Daycare waiting-list order is not first come, first served, and how the daycare fee and the parental benefit relate is in Your parental benefit does not shrink when your child attends daycare. Even in the same region, each facility has its own capacity and timing, so read the announcement of the facilities you care about.

Checklist: what to finish before November 2

• Sign up for the integrated portal. Sign-up is open all year
• After October 28, register your child and save your favorite facilities
• If you may qualify for priority, such as multiple children or dual income, check which proof the facility asks for
• Complete the actual application on November 2. Saving a favorite alone does not submit one
• Check result announcements and enrollment dates in portal and facility notices, and write them down

This article is general information based on the Ministry of Education announcement, and detailed admission guidelines vary by region and facility. Follow the integrated portal, the facility itself, and your local education office or municipality for the exact rules.