In 2021 the City Council adopted the revised articles of association for municipal kindergartens in Trondheim.

The City Council has invested the Chief City Executive with the authority to amend the articles of association in accordance with decisions made at the local- or central-authority level.

1. Ownership and general authority

Trondheim local authority owns or rents premises for the municipal kindergartens and is responsible for their operation.

2. Purpose

The kindergartens are operated in accordance with the purposes laid down in the Kindergarten Act, municipal decisions and each kindergarten’s plan of operations.

Section 1 of the Kindergarten Act - Purpose

The kindergarten must, in collaboration and close understanding with the home, safeguard the children's need for care and play, and promote learning and character-building as a basis for an all-round development. The kindergarten must be based on fundamental values in the Christian and humanist heritage and tradition, such as respect for human dignity and nature, intellectual freedom, charity, understanding, equality and solidarity, values that are part of basic human rights.

The children must be able to develop their creative joy, sense of wonder and urge to explore. They must learn to take care of themselves, each other and nature. The children must develop basic knowledge and skills. They must have the right to participate in accordance with their age and abilities.

The kindergarten must treat the children with trust and respect, and acknowledge the intrinsic value of childhood. It shall contribute to well-being and joy in play and learning, and shall be a challenging and safe place for the common good and forging friendships. The kindergarten must promote democracy and equality and counteract all forms of discrimination.

The kindergartens shall comply with the provisions in the Kindergarten Act, the framework plan for kindergartens and other regulations and guidelines established by the Ministry of Education and Research.

3. The right to a place

A child’s right to a place is established pursuant to section 16 of the Kindergarten Act. Children who turn one year of age at the latest before the end of August the year when a place in kindergarten is applied for have the right to a place in kindergarten from August.

Children who turn one year of age in September, October and November the year a place is applied for have the right to a place in kindergarten from the month the child turns one year of age.

4. Admission

Oppvekstadministrasjonen (Office for Early Development and Education) is responsible for admissions and allocates places in kindergarten in accordance with the admission criteria in force.

Children in Trondheim shall have their full kindergarten place in one kindergarten.

Trondheim local authority only offers full-day places in kindergarten. Reduced time in kindergarten means that the number of days per week in kindergarten is reduced, and the lowest number of days is three.

4.1 Admission criteria

These criteria apply to all admissions.

4.1.1 Admission area

The geographical admission area covers children living in the municipality of Trondheim. A place in kindergarten can be applied for regardless of place of residence within the municipal limits. To start in a municipal kindergarten, the family must be settled in the municipality when the child starts in the kindergarten.

Kindergartens with a Sami or sign-language programme are defined with a separate admission area. This means that applicants who are in the target group shall have priority when assigning places in these kindergartens.

4.2 Main admission

The main admission applies to children with the legal right to a place in kindergarten (cf. section 3). This right applies to children who do not have a place in kindergarten and who have applied before the deadline for applications, which is 1 March.

4.2.1 General criteria for priority admission to municipal and non-municipal kindergartens

Children with reduced functional ability and children with decisions reached pursuant to section 4-12 and section 4-4 second and fourth paragraph of the Child Welfare Services Act, cf. section 18 of the Kindergarten Act. Documentation requirements: Attachment from Children and Family Services and/or competent medical personnel.

4.2.2 Additional general criteria for priority admission to municipal kindergartens

• Siblings of children in the same kindergarten/centre.
• Children resident in the kindergarten’s local neighbourhood.
• Drawing of lots.

4.3 Transfer admission

Transfer admission applies to children with a kindergarten place in Trondheim who apply for a place in another centre/kindergarten. The deadline for applications is 1 February. Places are allocated from August.

An application for transfer between kindergartens within the same centre must be sent to the director.

4.3.1 General criteria for priority admission to municipal and non-municipal kindergartens

Children with reduced functional ability and children with decisions reached pursuant to section 4-12 and section 4-4 second and fourth paragraph of the Child Welfare Services Act, cf. section 16 of the Kindergarten Act. Documentation requirements: Attachment from Children and Family Services and/or competent medical personnel.

4.3.2 Additional criteria for priority admission to municipal kindergartens

• Children with a place in a family kindergarten have priority if an application is made for transfer to an ordinary kindergarten. It is a requirement that the child has reached three years of age or turns three in the course of the year.
• Siblings of children in the same centre.
• Children resident in the kindergarten’s local neighbourhood and who have a place in a kindergarten outside this area.
• Children resident in the kindergarten’s local neighbourhood and who have a place in a kindergarten in this area.
• Drawing of lots.

4.4 Supplemental admission

Admissions will be made throughout the year if there are vacant places. The supplemental admission is open to children with and without a place in kindergarten applying outside the main admission deadline or applying for a transfer admission.

4.4.1 General criteria for priority admission to municipal and non-municipal kindergartens

• Children with reduced functional ability and children with decisions reached pursuant to section 4-12 and section 4-4 second and fourth paragraph of the Child Welfare Services Act, cf. section 18 of the Kindergarten Act. Documentation requirements: Attachment from Children and Family Services and/or competent medical personnel.
• Children who in the course of the kindergarten year lose their place due to a kindergarten being closed down, or due to staff leave/temporary closing of the kindergarten.

4.4.2 Additional criteria for priority admission to municipal kindergartens

• Children from families experiencing problems due to illness and/or other circumstances. Documentation requirements: Attachment from a doctor, hospital or Children and Family Services.
• Children are given priority according to age, where the oldest child is granted a place first.

5. Parental payment

Each year the Norwegian parliament (Stortinget) determines the maximum price per year for a place in kindergarten. The price is for a full-time place. When making the annual budget, the City Council sets the rates for what parents shall pay, and the rules for discounts and free core time.

The maximum price is distributed over an eleven-month period; there is no payment for July.

5.1 Meal expenses

Payment for meals comes in addition. The price for meals in the kindergarten is decided by the kindergarten director in conjunction with the kindergarten’s coordination committee.

5.2 Sibling discount

The sibling discount is 30 percent for child number two, and 50 percent for child number three. The sibling discount is also granted when the siblings attend different kindergartens.

The sibling discount applies to siblings living together in a permanent situation. Children are considered to be permanently resident at the address where they are registered by the population registry.

In cases where the parents have agreed on shared residence for the child, the child shall be considered to be permanently resident in both locations and with both parents. An application must be submitted documenting agreement on access with the child (minimum 40 percent).

Sibling discounts do not apply to meal expenses.

5.3 Reduced payment for financial reasons and for free core time

Trondheim local authority processes applications for a reduction in parental pay pursuant to the national rules for income-graded parental payment and free core time.

5.4 Reduced payment in the event of extraordinary closure

In the event of an extraordinary closure of the kindergarten, the parents can be reimbursed for the days when the kindergarten was closed.

5.5 Payment exemption in the event of illness

When children are absent for more than one continuous month due to illness, exemption of parental payment may be granted when applied for. The period of illness must be documented with a medical certificate.

6. Termination

6.1 Notice of termination of a place must be made through the application portal

The period of notice is one month, counting from the first of the month. Payment for the place is due throughout the period of notice.

The rules for giving notice of termination also apply to those who have accepted a place but change their mind before the place has been used.

6.2 Notice of termination of a place when transferring to another kindergarten in the municipality

When transferring between municipal kindergartens, the current place will automatically be cancelled when the parents have accepted a new place.

When switching between privately operated kindergartens, or when switching from a privately operated kindergarten to a municipal kindergarten, the parents must give notice of termination of the current place.

Exception: In the case of a transfer admission, the place will automatically be cancelled when transferring between kindergartens in Trondheim. This applies to children with a place in both municipal and privately operated kindergartens.

6.3 Notice of termination by the local authority

The local authority may give notice of termination of a place in kindergarten with a period of notice of one month from the first of the month.

Such notice may be given due to the lack of payment, because the family is moving out of the municipality or if the allocation of the place was based on erroneous information.

7. Moving from the municipality

If the family moves out of the municipality, the child may retain the place in the kindergarten for up to one month.

If special reasons indicate that the child should continue in the kindergarten for more than one month, the family may apply for this to Oppvekstadministrasjonen (Office for Early Development and Education).

8. Leave of absence from the kindergarten place

An application for a leave of absence from the place in the kindergarten must be sent to the kindergarten before the first of the month, and at least one month before the time the leave is to start.

No leave can be granted before the child has started at the kindergarten. An application for leave with exemption from payment may be granted if another child can use the place during the leave.

9. Holidays

As a general rule, children in kindergarten should have four weeks’ holiday every year. A minimum of three consecutive weeks should be in the summer. Parents/guardians shall inform the kindergarten director of the child’s summer holiday plans before 1 May.

Municipal kindergartens close for three consecutive weeks in July. All kindergartens shall be closed in weeks 28 and 29. The kindergarten's director decides, in consultation with the kindergarten's coordinating committee, whether the third week during which the kindergarten will be closed should be week 27 or week 30.

10. Planning days

The kindergarten staff have five planning days in the course of the year. The kindergarten will then be closed on these days.

Information about days the kindergarten will be closed can be found on the school and kindergarten calendar.

11. Opening hours

The daily opening hours of the kindergarten may vary from one municipal kindergarten to the next. Information about opening hours is found on the kindergarten’s website. Opening hours are set or changed by the director in conjunction with the kindergarten’s coordination committee.

On Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Wednesday before Maundy Thursday kindergartens close at noon, unless otherwise specified. Opening hours for the other days during the Christmas season will be agreed after determining needs, and will be decided by the kindergarten director in conjunction with the kindergarten's coordination committee.

12. Parents’ council and coordination committee

All kindergartens must have a parents’ council. All the parents of children in the kindergarten are members of the parents’ council and elect their representatives for the kindergarten’s coordination committee. The coordination committee corresponds to the provision in section 4 of the Kindergarten Act relating to the establishment of a coordination committee, and must be composed of parents/guardians and kindergarten staff in such a way that each of the groups is equally represented.

The parents’ council and the coordination committee must act in the best interests of the children and the parents, and contribute to good collaboration between the kindergarten and the parents.

13. Play and indoor area

The kindergarten’s play and indoor area must satisfy the general standard of four square metres per child over three years of age and 5.2 square metres per child under three years of age.

14. Insurance

A collective accident insurance policy covers all the children who have a place the municipal kindergartens.