The signals from the country's municipalities are that the need for preschool staff will decrease in the future and that preschools will be closed as the number of children in each family decreases. However, KD believes this instead provides an opportunity to invest in preschools, when there are vacant premises and less pressure from fewer children.
We have a unique opportunity for a major boost in preschool, says Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed (KD).
Maximum ceiling
The party wants to legislate a national ceiling of a maximum of 12 children in toddler groups in preschool and 15 in the slightly older groups. The party also wants to regulate staffing levels, so that one educator is responsible for four to five children depending on age. The proposal is estimated to cost 9.5 billion kronor.
KD estimates that the need for staff will increase by just over 13,000 people under the party's proposal. This can be compared with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR), which estimates that the need for staff in preschool will decrease by approximately 15,000 people due to smaller child cohorts between 2023 and 2033.
We must stop the mass layoffs of preschool staff that we otherwise see will happen. And ensure that we both increase staff density and keep the size of the children's groups down, says KD party leader Ebba Busch.
Must prioritize
The Moderates have also promised to invest 10 billion in preschool, but not in smaller groups of children but in removing the preschool fee. The KD leader does not believe there will be money for both.
I think that many parents are basically prepared to pay preschool fees if they know that the staff has enough time for their children, she says.
Another proposal is to direct half a billion kronor to municipalities to improve the quality of the food served in preschools and ensure that the kitchens use more Swedish ingredients.
