My husband, two-year-old son and I are going to spend at least a year in Madrid, starting early next summer (despite the frightening details to be worked out between now and then--I can't wait!).

I was wondering if anyone knows how the guarder�a system works in Madrid...

Are there neighborhood-based public preschools? How much do these generally cost? Are there long waiting lists? Do you have to be a resident or citizen to use them (we're Americans)? Would a student visa give us access to them or would we have to look into private preschools?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated...

Val? Tony?

Saludos,
jer...

My info is not direct as I don't have children but what I've heard from families and friends is that although there are "guarder�as p�blicas" in almost every neighbourhood it's quite difficult to get a place if you don't have a very low income or a special situation in the family, as the positions are given depending on those things as well as depending on proximity to work or place or home and certain social circunstances.

Anyway, if you don't apply you won't get it for sure, so you can try. You don't have to be a Spanish citizen, in fact, lots of inmigrant get a place because of their low income.

Thanks for the response! I guess we'll just have to wing it once we get there... But I have to admit, I've got my heart set on seeing my oh-so-worldly two year old in one of those adorable smocks that preschoolers wear in Spain (they still wear them, don't they?).

We're hoping to go to Complutense... perhaps there is a preschool or daycare attached for students?

Unfortunately, living in DC, we are used to wait lists, lotteries, total inflexibility, and other child-care headaches... Madrid can't be any worse, right?

Hey mariposita, did not know if you were gonna come back to this thread so I was putting this post off due to lack of time.

I did a quick search and found the following...

� www.spanish-living.com/files/Madrid/kids/kids.html

� http://buscador.ya.com/indice/Educacion/Educacion_no_universitaria/Guarderias/Madrid

� www.topmadrid.com/guia/guarderias

� www.somospadres.com/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=23

� www.dondeque.com/subcat.cfm/cat/36/s/524

It is a lot and some are repaeted but I hope it helps you get started

Saludos,
jer...

Thanks so much for the information! I'm sure to have more questions. We are pushing ahead on our plans to move to Madrid next May. We just have to finish making our house "rentable" and then find someone to rent it....


P.S. I used to get notified via email when there were new posts, but I don't get them anymore, hence my bout with amnesia. Maybe my ISP's spam-blocker is bouncing the notifications back... Or is there a setting somewhere I need to change?

Hey mariposita, have you changed your e-mail since you registered?

If so, make sure it is updated in your profile.

Saludos,
jer...

Same old email address...

I'll have to talk to my ISP about it. It's funny, because I get over a hundred spam messages a day--whatever kind of blocker they are using seems to only bounce useful stuff...

Hi there!

I'm sorry I didn't answer sooner,but I didn't see your post! I have a 7 year old son, so my daycare days are over.

However, the above replies on 100% public CAM (Comunidad de Madrid) daycares look accurate. Its tough to get a 100% free slot, but its worth trying.

Also, don't forget that "real pre-school or "primera de infantil" starts for kids here the year that they turn 3. So, perhaps you can sign your kid up for a public or subsidised (these are very reasonably priced, normally just 200 Euros per month all day with lunch) school in the neighbourhood where you live here.

Finally, most 100% private schools take kids from as early as age 18 months. Although private schools are more expensive, they are more reasonable for pre-schoolers than in the upper levels.

Also, small private daycare centers are located in every neighbourhood. A full day with lunch could cost from 300-400 Euros.

Good luck!

Thamks Val, as one of our only in-country foreign moms, your input is invaluable

Better late than never.

Tony & Mari?

Saludos,
jer...

Val--
Thanks so much for your reply. We should be arriving in Madrid during the summer and hope to put our son in school in the fall.

He will turn three in November...so if I understand you correctly, he would be eligible for "primera de infantil." We would really love for him to go to a Spanish neighborhood school.


A couple more questions, if you don't mind:

--Are these schools public, with parents subsidizing a portion? 200 euros a month sounds like heaven compared to a comparable places here in DC (where $250 a week is considered a steal and you are waitlisted into eternity).

--Should we try to get our son signed up in our neighborhood as soon as we arrive in the early summer? Or is there some kind of formal registration period in the fall? Does everyone in the neighborhood have the right to a slot or do schools fill up and waitlist people?

--Will our visa status be an issue? We are both hoping to have student visas, but may not have them in place by registration time, depending on the efficiency of the Spanish Embassy (lord help us!).


Sorry about the deluge of questions, but I remember how complicated it was matriculating into the university in Barcelona many years ago, even with the help of a native!

Been a while since I've thought about this... but I have another guarder�a question...

Does anyone know if it is possible to find a daycare/preschool situation in Madrid (centro) for just the afternoons. My son will be 2 1/2 or 3 and we're looking for something from 2-6ish. It seems like a lot of places offer morning "shifts," but I haven't been able to find out anything about places that might allow for just afternoons.

I'd like to have him be with other children, so a nanny wouldn't really work for us.

Any ideas?

Hi again!

Yes, your son should be able to attend official preschool! This could be either at a public or private subsidised private ("concertado"). The subsidised ones are paid for by the Govt., but usually ask parents to pay something.

As an immigrant, you may get lucky and be able to get into a school of your choice. Public schools can also be very good, it depends on the student body. Some neighbourhoods have too many immigrants (sometimes over 70%) concentrated in the public schools and the academic level tends to be low. However, for 1st year preschool at age 3, that shouldn't be a problem.

Once you are here, you'll have to go to the town hall of the neighbourhood where you'll be living to get the list of schools and sign him up for one! Hopefully, you can get the list, look at a few, and choose. As you will be late, the sign-ups have already taken place for those living here I believe, the schools have to save a few slots in each classroom for immigrants. You are guaranteed a spot.

Good luck and feel free to private email me as well if you have more qs, as I sometimes don't see MultiMadrid regularly (depends on how much work I've got to do).

Val

Thanks so much for the reply. We are arriving at the beginning of July and have until October to figure things out. I may very well have more questions in the meantime and will post anything that I discover here. Thanks again!

Hey all--
We're finally thinking about all of this again and I was wondering if any mm-ers in the center might know where we should start the school registration process for our son...

He's going to turn 3 in November, so we're going to try to get him into a preschool. We live in the center in La Latina. From what Val said above, it seems like we first need to get him into the "system" to see if they can find a spot for him.

Would we first need to go to the big central Ayuntamiento to register (empadronar)? Or is there a smaller branch for things like this in our neighborhood?

Thanks!