The steep rise in the cost of living in Israel is evident in almost every area of our lives, but parents of toddlers (up to the age of 3) feel this even more, in light of the rising prices of private dormitories and nurseries. Many of them are already collapsing under the economic burden, but the garden owners claim, on the other hand, that their expenses are only growing. Rental, food, and caregiver expenses are rising, and so, they say, gene prices will rise. This is a drastic increase of thousands of shekels a year.
In Israel, as is well known, the Free Compulsory Education Law does not apply to toddlers.
Of the 548,200 toddlers in Israel up to the age of 3, about 35% stayed in private settings (about 190,800 toddlers).
This means that their parents pay thousands of shekels a month for the frameworks.
At the same time, another 38% stayed at home (about 210,000).
These toddlers also include those whose parents are on maternity leave, or those who have brought a caregiver home.
On the other hand, less than a third (27%) of toddlers in Israel were in 2020 in state-subsidized supervised settings (only about 147,400 toddlers).
Early childhood reform is not really noticeable on the ground.
Education Minister Shasha-Bitton, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
"I expect that some of the private dormitories will also increase in price by NIS 500-400 per month as early as this coming September," says Nitzan Katz, owner of a private garden in Tel Aviv and owner of the "On the Way to the Garden" website.
"There is a huge shortage of caregivers. Kindergarten owners who find staff in strong cities will find that each worker will cost about NIS 50 per hour. This means an additional NIS 1,500-1,000 per month per worker. The increases in rent, food and current expenses, the additional cost can even reach NIS 500 per toddler. Also, due to manpower shortages, kindergartens may be closed. Because it has only 70% occupancy. "
The State Comptroller's report, recently published, showed that in 2018 public spending on infant frameworks in OECD countries accounted for about 71% of all spending on these frameworks. In contrast, in Israel, public spending accounted for only about 18% of all spending on these frameworks. The report clearly states that the financial burden placed on parents of toddlers in Israel is relatively heavy, and that parents whose children are in a state that is not supervised and subsidized by the state (such as WIZO daycare centers, NAMAT, etc.) are required to bear a considerable share. From disposable family income.
The economic burden placed on the shoulders of parents of toddlers in Israel is relatively heavy.
The Comptroller from Netanyahu Engelman, Photo:: Oren Ben Hakon
It will be recalled that the early childhood reform of Education Minister Yifat Shasha Bitton, which includes the transfer of day care centers to the Ministry of Education, is not really noticeable on the ground.
The reform seeks to add another 180 subsidized daycare centers - but this has not yet happened.
The law for the supervision of day care centers, which was passed in the Knesset at the end of last year, also remains on paper only.
It follows that although state intervention is necessary to lower the economic burden on the backs of parents, everything remains a matter of good intentions.
And with good intentions do not go to the grocery store.
The rate of price increase in different cities
Beer Sheva - NIS 3,000 per month
In the capital of the Negev, prices are low compared to the center.
You can find private dormitories for NIS 2,500 a month, and in some places the prices increase to NIS 3,000.
Hamutal, the mother of a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler, explains that this year they have already raised the price by NIS 100 a month.
"We are captives of the system. Neither the state nor the local authority, there is no interest in taking part and lowering costs. This joins the high amounts we pay for the great freedom frameworks. The costs in the country have become insane."
Haifa - NIS 2,500 per month
An increase of NIS 3,600 per year
Haifa is a big city and the prices are varied - but in many of the private parks the prices will go up.
For example, in the Garden of the Angels in Haifa, the price will increase from NIS 2,200 to NIS 2,500 this coming September.
"I raise prices due to the overall increase in property taxes, food, electricity, hourly wages and more," says Linda, a homeowner.
Intelligence - NIS 4,300 per month
The highest price we found in Modiin for a private residence is NIS 4,300 per month.
There are dormitories at lower prices.
Rinat, the mother of a two-year-old toddler who lives in the city, is outraged: "We talk about intelligence and the environment as a pilot city. True, there is a strong, educated and affluent population here, but that does not mean we do not experience the cost of living and it does not bother us. this".
Givatayim - NIS 4,350 per month
An increase of about NIS 500 per year
A homeowner in the city says she does not intend to raise the price significantly.
"The price has risen by one percent," she explains, "this is an annual cost of NIS 500-400. In August, parents are required to pay full tuition, even though most kindergartens operate for only two weeks."
Kiryat Shmona - NIS 2,500 per month
An increase of NIS 2,400 per year
Oksana Jibo, who owns a residential home on Dan Street in the city, says that she had to raise the price of the garden from NIS 2,300 a month to NIS 2,500.
"We are raising prices because of the new requirements. The supervision law is changing the relationship between caregivers and children. It is very difficult to find staff - also because caregivers do not want to work where there are cameras. .
Rishon Lezion - NIS 3,700 per month
An increase of NIS 2,400 per year
The average price in the private dormitories in Rishon Lezion has so far been around NIS 3,500 per month, and some have already announced that next year they will increase the price by another NIS 200.
Moran, mother of a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler: "I sometimes pinch myself for charging such sums. The state subsidizes academic studies, so why not kindergartens for toddlers? It makes parents consider whether to have another child."
Tel Aviv - NIS 4,400 per month
An increase of NIS 2,400 per year
Yoav Doar, the owner of "Rabbit's Garden" on Moshe Sneh Street in the city, says he will have to raise the price of the garden by NIS 200 per month.
"We raise prices because our expenses have gone up accordingly. The rents in North Tel Aviv are very high, and so are the salaries of the workers, and this is reflected in the price of the garden because I can not lose money. There is also a very great shortage of workers, "They should come to us, we raise the hourly wage. We are neither millionaires nor pigs. Most of the garden owners came from the heart, not from business."
Jerusalem - NIS 4,100 per month
The price differences between the dormitories in Jerusalem are significant.
One of the most expensive private parks we found is located in the Katamon neighborhood, at a price of NIS 4,100 per month.
In the Malcha neighborhood, they pay NIS 2,950 to NIS 3,100 per month.
One of the garden owners explains that the price went up about two years ago, so she will not go up again.
In other private parks in less established neighborhoods, prices reached up to NIS 2,700.
"Prices keep rising from year to year," says Michal, a mother of a two-year-old child.
"For many families with many children, not necessarily from the ultra-Orthodox sector, it is simply impossible. Mothers are forced to sit at home because it is simply not profitable for them to go out to work. The state must put its hand in its pocket, education is not a luxury."
Herzliya - NIS 4,000 per month
The owner of a private residence in the city says that she charges about NIS 4,000 a month.
According to her, there was only a small increase compared to last year - and so in all the gardens in Herzliya.
"The prices more or less coincide with all the gardens in the city," she explains, "I have a high demand for the garden and there is a waiting list, so I did not see the need to raise the price significantly."
Ramat Hasharon - NIS 5,200 per month
An increase of NIS 2,400 per year
If you want to enroll your child in a daycare center in the Green Village area, it can cost you more than NIS 60,000 a year.
The monthly payment was NIS 5,000, but NIS 200 per month was added.
"Our kindergarten sits on a large area," explains a homeowner. "There is a permanent staff here who have been working with children for more than a decade. We go on trips with them all day. It all costs money."
Mevaseret Zion - NIS 3,200 per month
Due to the fact that this is a relatively established locality, the frameworks in Mevaseret Zion are more expensive in relation to the capital Jerusalem.
The inspection revealed that a private residence would cost about NIS 3,200.
"Paying for a daycare is like renting another apartment," says the mother of a toddler, "but parents have no choice but to pay, because they will not be able to go to work. It must also be in a place close to home, so if you live in an established place but earn less, you will have to "Pay sums that sometimes you do not have - otherwise you will have to shake the child every morning. We must add more subsidized dormitories."
Participated in the preparation of the article: Idan Avni, Michel Mechol, Yuri Yalon, Yaron Doron, Ilya Yagurov and Efrat Forscher
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us
