site.bta11,746 Children Admitted in First Round to Sofia Nurseries and Kindergartens, Nearly as Many Can't Secure a Place

A total of 11,746 children were admitted in the first round of applications for public creches and kindergartens in Sofia, Deputy Mayor for Education, Sport and Youth Activities Desislava Zhelyazkova said after Mayor Vassil Terziev officially launched the city’s electronic admissions system on Thursday.

Demand for public childcare in the Bulgarian capital significantly exceeds available capacity, particularly for children under the age of three. Municipal nurseries and kindergartens are highly sought after because they are heavily subsidized and much cheaper than private childcare.

Zhelyazkova said nearly 1,400 places had been reserved for children with special educational needs and chronic illnesses, although it was not yet clear how many of those places had been filled. Even after the first admissions round, around 4,680 children remain without a place, while another 3,254 spots are expected to become available during the next round of applications.

Terziev said expanding access to education and childcare remained one of the municipality’s main priorities. The city plans to open enough new kindergarten places to accommodate another 1,500 children, he said. The most severe shortage, however, remains in care for children aged up to three, with about 5,400 children currently unable to secure a place.

City officials also warned of a growing staffing crisis in childcare facilities. According to Zhelyazkova, Sofia’s municipal creches lack more than 230 nurses. She added that around half of all nurses working in creches are over the age of 62, while more than 100 are older than 70.

Zhelyazkova also said the municipality had proposed changes to the compensation system for parents whose children are not admitted to public childcare facilities, aiming to give families greater flexibility in choosing alternative care options. After the September admissions round, parents of children aged between four and six who still do not receive a place will also be able to request municipal assistance in finding one.