Registering Your Child for a Recognised Daycare Centre

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   In brief

   • You register online through the Division for Encouraging Parental Employment.
   • A recognised daycare centre (ma'on) is an educational care setting for babies and toddlers aged 3 months to 3 years that has received an official daycare symbol from the supervising government ministry.
   • Tuition fees are regulated — the state sets a maximum fee based on the type of setting and the child's age.
   • Any parent may register their child for a government-supervised daycare. The daycare may not refuse to register a child for any reason, including excess demand. If more children register than the maximum permitted number, an admissions committee (va'adat kabbalah) will be convened.
2. 2

   Who is this relevant for?

   • Children and babies who are Israeli citizens or residents.
   • Daycare centres are for children aged 3 months to 3 years.
     • Children under 6 months will only be accepted with a medical certificate confirming the baby's maturity, health, and suitability for a group educational setting.
     • Children under 3 months will not be accepted under any circumstances.
     • Children above the registration age may be accepted on a space-available basis. Children above the registration age are those who are eligible to register for a pre-pre-compulsory kindergarten.
3. 3

   Steps in the process

   You register directly through the Division for Encouraging Parental Employment, using the national identity verification system.

   • You can also register at self-service kiosks located around the country.
   • Either parent or a legal guardian of the child may complete the registration.
   • You can choose up to 2 daycare centres and rank them in order of preference. You can find recognised daycare centres through the Division for Encouraging Parental Employment website — either by searching by locality or on a map.

   How preference ranking works:

   • If your child is accepted by the first-choice daycare, they are placed there and the second-choice registration is cancelled.
   • If the first-choice daycare is oversubscribed but there is a place at the second-choice daycare, priority decisions for the first-choice daycare are made according to that daycare's priority order, while a place at the second-choice daycare is held in reserve.
   • If both chosen daycares are oversubscribed, priority decisions are made according to the priority order set out in the admissions committee procedure. Admissions committees are usually held between March and June.

   Only once you receive a final acceptance decision for your child may you also complete registration with the daycare manager directly.

   Technical support for registration and accessing your personal area: call the Mamshak Zamin helpline on 1299, Sunday–Thursday 08:00–19:00.

   Questions about the registration process and results: contact the Division for Encouraging Parental Employment on *2969 or 1-222-2969, Sunday–Thursday 08:00–16:00.

   A child who is not registered during the registration period can only register after the admissions committees have concluded, and on a space-available basis only.

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   Sharing registration information with both parents:

   • Either parent may complete the registration.
   • When registering, enter the email address of the other parent (the one not completing the registration), so that registration results are also sent to them — unless a court decision has been presented that prevents sharing information with the parent who did not register the child.
   • Both parents have the right to receive information about the registration. If the parent who did not complete the registration is not receiving information, they are entitled to contact the Division for Encouraging Parental Employment and request it. Submit a written request to: rishom.maon.noreply@gmail.com.
4. 4

   Admissions committee

   If the number of children registered at a daycare exceeds the maximum number of places set by the supervising ministry, an admissions committee will be convened in accordance with the Division for Encouraging Parental Employment's admissions procedure. The committee's purpose is to set a priority order among registered children, which determines whether each child is accepted.

   • If an admissions committee is required, parents will be notified with instructions for completing the questionnaire and submitting documents.
   • To be considered by the admissions committee, parents must submit a set of documents (including, among others, documents showing income). Children are ranked based only on documents submitted by parents before ranking begins. The full list is set out in the required documents for priority ranking application (PDF).
   • Ranking of children will be completed within 45 days of the registration date.
   • For the full priority order and conditions for determining priority, see the full admissions procedure (section 4 of the procedure) on the Division for Encouraging Parental Employment website.
5. 5

   Notification of acceptance or rejection

   In the first week of March you'll receive notification of either a final acceptance or confirmation that the daycare you registered for has moved to admissions committees.

   Rejection notification:

   • Parents of children who were not accepted will receive a rejection notice. The notice will state the child's position on the list.
   • Parents of children ranked in the last 5 places on the list will receive a rejection notice stating that the child is in the last 5 places, and a final answer will come after the objections process.
   • You can submit an objection to a rejection notice (see below).

   Acceptance notification will be sent to parents by the daycare manager and the supervising ministry, after the objections process is complete.

   If registrations are cancelled, the daycare manager will accept children from the waiting list in list order.

   Parents who are contacted multiple times (by phone, email, and text message) and do not respond within 2 working days to confirm they want their child admitted will be removed from the list.

6. 6

   Objection

   The following parents may submit an objection:

   • Parents who received notification that their child was not accepted.
   • Parents who received notification that their child is placed in the last 5 places (and want to improve their position on the list).

   After the objections process, the list may change: children whose objection is accepted will be added to the list, and children who were in the last positions may be pushed off the list.

   Example: If 18 children are accepted at a daycare and parents ranked 19th submit an objection — if their objection is accepted and their child enters the list, the child previously ranked 18th will no longer be accepted.

   • You have 5 working days from receiving the rejection notice to submit your objection.
   • Submit your objection through a special form on the government website. A link to the form will be sent to parents.

   Late objections:

   • If your objection is submitted late (after more than 5 working days), even if the objection is accepted, your child will not be immediately admitted to the daycare.
   • Your child's position will be updated only on the waiting list, and they can be admitted only if a place becomes available (after cancellations), in accordance with their position on the list.
7. 7

   Payments

   Registration fee:

   • Daycare operators (local authority or organisation) may charge a registration fee only after you receive a final acceptance notification.
   • The registration fee may not exceed ₪133 (as of 2024).
   • The registration fee will not be refunded if the registration is cancelled by the parents.

   Advance payment:

   • Daycare operators may charge an advance payment against tuition for the first month of study, up to ₪570.
   • An advance may only be charged if your child's acceptance has been finally confirmed at the time payment is requested.
   • The advance amount paid will be deducted from the first payment.
8. 8

   Good to know

   • A child who is not registered during the registration period can only register after the admissions committees have concluded, and on a space-available basis only.
   • Once your child's acceptance is confirmed, you can apply for a government subsidy towards daycare tuition fees — see our companion guide for Oleh parents.
   • The instructions and guidelines of the supervising ministry are binding on daycare and family daycare operators. Any clause in an agreement with an operator that contradicts the ministry's guidelines is not valid.
   • You can also register simultaneously for a family daycare (mishpachton) — see our related guides.