Enrolling a child in a preschool is an important stage for a family, which often raises many practical questions: when to submit an application, whether registration on an electronic waiting list is mandatory, what documents are required, and who has priority during enrollment.
In 2026, the main rules are established by the new Law of Ukraine "On Preschool Education" and the Procedure for the Enrollment, Expulsion and Transfer of Pupils to State and Municipal Educational Institutions, approved by Order No. 249 of the Ministry of Education and Science. At the same time, the specific mechanism for electronic registration may differ depending on the community, since the legislation does not establish a single electronic waiting-list system mandatory throughout the country.
How to enroll a child in preschool in the autumn of 2026, what documents are required for this, and which parents are entitled to benefits was выяснено by UNN.
At what age can a child be sent to preschool
In 2026, legislation provides significantly broader opportunities for obtaining preschool education than the traditional notion of starting preschool at the age of three. The Law "On Preschool Education," mentioned above, defines the following age periods:
- infancy - up to
one year;
- early age - from
one to three years;
- younger preschool
age - from three to four years;
- middle preschool
age - from four to five years;
- older preschool
age - from five to six or seven years.
For children with special educational needs (SEN), preschool education may, in certain cases, continue until the age of eight.
At the same time, the specific age for admitting a child depends on the type of institution. Nurseries may provide preschool education to children from three months to three years of age, while kindergartens generally serve children from two to six or seven years of age. The law also provides for mini-preschools, family preschools, child development centers, mobile preschools, and other formats.
Therefore, sending a child to an institution before the age of three is legally possible, but in practice everything depends on whether a particular preschool has nursery groups, a sufficient number of staff, and available places.
The rule for children of older preschool age should be considered separately. Children from the age of five must receive preschool education, but this does not mean that they must attend a municipal kindergarten every day. Parents may choose, in particular, in-person, family (home-based), and, where the relevant conditions are available, distance or network-based education, or pedagogical patronage.
How to enroll a child in preschool and whether an electronic waiting list is mandatory
One of the main features is that there is no single nationwide electronic waiting list for preschools in 2026. Under the nationwide Procedure, an application for enrollment may be submitted by one of the parents or another legal representative:
- in person;
- by mail;
- through an electronic communications system, if such a system has been designated by the institution's founder.
If the child's parents or guardians submit the application electronically, they may use their qualified electronic signature (QES) or other means of electronic identification.
In practice, large cities and communities often use their own electronic registration services. It is the local system that may determine how many preschools may be selected at the same time, how the applicant's identity is verified, when the priority institution may be changed, and how the child's position on the waiting list is displayed. Therefore, the possibility and rules for using a QES should be checked on the website of the city, settlement, or village council, or of the local education authority.
It should also be noted that children are enrolled in state and municipal preschools not only before the beginning of the academic year. Enrollment continues throughout the calendar year if there are available places in the groups. Local education authorities must promptly publish information about the availability of such places.
Therefore, it is advisable to submit an application in advance, especially in large cities and areas where places are scarce. However, early registration alone does not always provide an absolute advantage, since the law establishes a separate order of enrollment.
What documents are required to enroll a child in preschool
A basic set of documents specified by Order No. 249 of the Ministry of Education and Science is required for a state-run or municipal institution.
The enrollment application must be accompanied by:
- a copy of the child's
birth certificate;
- the original medical
certificate in Form No. 086/o;
- a copy of the document
confirming the right to priority enrollment, if applicable.
Medical certificate No. 086/o is required primarily when enrolling a child in full-time daytime education, when it is combined with other forms of education, and for pedagogical patronage.
If the application was submitted through the electronic system, the required copies and originals of the documents must be submitted to the preschool education institution no later than three days before the date specified in the application as the date on which the child will begin attending the kindergarten.
It should be emphasized that a separate preventive vaccination card in Form No. 063/o is not specified in the current Procedure of the Ministry of Education and Science as a standalone mandatory attachment to the application. At the same time, the institution must monitor whether children have the mandatory preventive vaccinations in accordance with the vaccination schedule. Therefore, vaccination information remains an important part of the child's medical documentation.
To prove the priority right to enrollment based on the territorial principle, a document confirming the child's or one of the child's parents' declared or registered place of residence or stay within the service area of the respective kindergarten may be required.
For children with disabilities and children with special educational needs, the list of documents is broader. Depending on the situation, a medical report on a child with a disability, an individual rehabilitation program, and an inclusive-resource center's conclusion on a comprehensive psychological and educational assessment of the child's development may be required. To establish or enroll a child in an inclusive group, the IRC conclusion is one of the key documents.
Who has priority for a place in a municipal kindergarten
In 2026, the law establishes a clear enrollment order. This is important because the concept of a "preferential category" is often interpreted much more broadly than provided for by the law itself.
First and foremost, priority is given to children who live within the service area of a particular municipal kindergarten. Among them, the following children are enrolled first:
- orphans;
- children deprived of parental care;
- children of fallen or deceased war veterans, Defenders and Defender Women of Ukraine;
- children who
are experiencing difficult life circumstances and are registered with the children's services;
- children with the status of those affected by military actions and armed conflicts;
- children with special educational needs.
Next are older preschool-age children. After them, priority is given to children of military personnel, internally displaced children, and children of people affected by the Chornobyl disaster.
Another category is the siblings of children who already attend this kindergarten, provided that they live within its service area. After them, other children who live in the respective area are enrolled.
If a child does not live within the kindergarten's service area, the next in priority are children of employees of that institution, followed by the siblings of its pupils. After that, children from other areas who have not been allocated a place in "their" kindergarten may be enrolled, and only then other children who do not live within the service area. Within each category, applications are processed in the order in which they are received.
At the same time, belonging to a large family, having another child with a disability in the family, or one of the parents having combatant status should not automatically be called a separate nationwide category entitled to priority enrollment if it does not fall under specific provisions of the law. Local authorities may have additional support programs, but they must not replace the enrollment order established by law.
What to do if there is no place in the chosen kindergarten
The lack of places in a particular kindergarten does not mean that parents can only wait until the following year. The law establishes a special mechanism for situations in which a child has not received a place in the municipal kindergarten to which the area where the child lives is assigned.
Parents can contact the relevant education authority. Following such an appeal, it is obliged to provide information about institutions and other entities that provide preschool education, municipal kindergartens where places are available, as well as the possibility of obtaining education at other institutions.
An important nuance: the law does not say that the education authority is obliged in every case to immediately provide a place specifically in another municipal kindergarten. Its direct duty in such a situation is to provide parents with information about the available options.
In addition, the law allows communities to pay for the services of other preschool education providers or to fully or partially compensate parents for preschool education expenses from the local budget. The specific mechanism and amount of such compensation are determined by the community itself. Therefore, before enrolling a child in a private kindergarten, it is worth checking whether a relevant program operates in the place of residence.
At the same time, local compensation programs should not be confused with the nationwide "yeSadok" payment. As of 2026, this program is not yet operational. The legislation provides for its launch on January 1, 2028, for families with children aged three to six, and for children with special educational needs — up to the age of seven or eight, subject to the conditions established by law.
It is also worth periodically checking whether places have become available. Enrollment in a kindergarten takes place throughout the calendar year, so a place may become available after another family moves, a child transfers to another institution, or the format of education changes.
If parents believe that the legally established priority order was violated or that their child was unjustifiably refused enrollment, it is advisable to request a written explanation and contact the institution’s founder or the relevant education authority. A decision by a state or municipal institution may also be challenged through administrative or court proceedings.
What parents of future preschoolers should do in advance
It is best to start by checking which municipal kindergarten is assigned to the child’s residential address and which registration system operates in the particular community. After that, it is worth finding out whether places are available and the age from which the specific institution accepts children.
If the child belongs to a category entitled to priority enrollment, it is better to prepare the supporting documents before submitting the application.
It is advisable to obtain medical certificate No. 086/o closer to the actual start of attendance at the institution, while vaccination-related matters should be agreed upon in advance with the family doctor or pediatrician.
The main rule for 2026 is that the enrollment procedure has become clearer and more regulated at the national level, but the technical registration process still depends to a large extent on the specific community. Therefore, before submitting documents, it is worth checking not only the general legal requirements but also the current rules of the local education authority.
A reminder
Earlier, we reported that, according to the Ministry of Education and Science, only 55% of children aged 0–6 are covered by preschool education. The main reasons for non-attendance are the security situation and the lack of shelters.