The 9th district of Budapest inaugurated on Thursday the renewed and expanded “Pixie House” nursery. The nursery had its existing 40 places refurbished and an additional 28 were created at a total cost of 168 million forints (EUR 547,000), Minister of State for Social and Family Affairs Miklós Soltész said at the inauguration.

The refurbishment included the building' insulation, electrical systems, doors and windows, kitchen, the creation of two additional rooms and the purchase of new indoor and outdoor toys.

The Budapest project is part of a 28 billion forints (EUR 91 million) government initiative launched in 2010 and within the framework of which 6,000 new nursery places will have been created and another 4,800 places modernized by 2014. This means that by the end of 2014 families with small children will have at their disposal 38,250 nursery places, or 20 percent more than in 2010 when the current administration came to office.

Government subsidies for nurseries have also increased over the above-mentioned period. From 1 January 2013 state funding for every child entitled to subsidized meals has increased to 102,000 forints per year (EUR 332) from 68,000 forints (EUR 221), an increase of over 30 percent.

Nursery financing has become more secure and operations more predictable. From 1 January 2014, state financing for nurseries has been based on the number of children enrolled, against the previous “actual number of children attending” policy, which will result in a 20 to 30 percent increase. Both the increase in the number of new kindergarten places and the level of financing is unprecedented compared with previous government terms.

In addition, beginning with this year the Government is providing increased financing for disadvantaged and multiply disadvantaged children, and municipalities that provide meals for nurseries now also receive operational funding.

(Ministry of Human Resources)