Utrecht preschools boost early learning access for 1,800 toddlers, cutting opportunity gaps
Utrecht has significantly increased preschool participation for toddlers needing extra support, reaching 82.5% in 2025. This shift ensures more children, regardless of background, get a strong start in education, though funding challenges remain.
| Key Data Point | Value |
|---|---|
| Increase in preschool reach | 69.5% → 82.5% (2025) |
| Toddlers with indication | 1,834 |
| Weekly preschool hours | 16 |
| Children without indication | 40% of preschool groups |
| Starting age | 2 or 2.5 years |
| Focus area | Language development, mixed groups |
| Funding challenge | National budget cuts |
The Municipality of Utrecht oversees early childhood education policies, ensuring preschool accessibility and quality. It collaborates with national agencies to secure funding and align local initiatives with broader educational goals.
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More Utrecht toddlers reached by preschool: major step toward equal opportunities
Utrecht is making significant progress in early childhood education. More and more toddlers who need extra support are finding their way to preschool. At the same time, preschool is becoming more accessible to all children, regardless of background.
According to the latest figures, the reach of preschool education for children with an indication rose sharply in 2025: from 69.5% to 82.5%. Utrecht has thus exceeded its own expectations. A total of 1,834 children with an indication participated in preschool. The increase is partly due to a new method of indicating need, which no longer focuses primarily on parents' background characteristics but on the child's development. As a result, especially those children who truly need it are now receiving a place for 16 hours per week in preschool. Dennis de Vries, Alderman for Education: “Preschool is one of the most powerful ways to combat inequality of opportunity. We are now better reaching the children who need it, while ensuring that all children can play and learn together.”
Accessibility and quality In addition to children with an indication, more and more children without an indication are also using preschool. The share of children without an indication in preschool groups grew from 30% to about 40% in 2025. This is creating more mixed groups, which benefits the development of all children and helps combat segregation. The number of waiting lists has also decreased, allowing more children to start at the age of 2.5. In some groups, children can even start at the age of 2. The municipality continues to invest in the accessibility and quality of preschool. For example, communication with parents will be further improved next year, including by offering it in multiple languages. Efforts are also being made to better identify which children are still not being reached and why. New initiatives have been launched in various parts of the city, such as play-in sessions where young children and their parents can play together and get acquainted with preschool. There is also extra focus on language development. At the same time, preschool is under pressure due to national budget cuts in education disadvantage policy. Current funding also does not always align well with the changing composition of groups. The municipality will therefore continue to advocate at the national level for better and more accessible national regulations for childcare. Utrecht aims to further expand preschool in the coming years and, in the long term, make it free for more children. This will require amended national legislation and additional funding. The municipality remains committed to giving all Utrecht children a strong start in life.