Summer delight unfolds: Launch of the Infant Care Unit in Seltjarnarnes
A Bright Future Ahead for Seltjarnarnes' Little Ones
In a joyous turn of events, Seltjarnarnes, Iceland, has decided to establish a dedicated infant care unit, following months of resident concerns about the town's inadequate childcare services. Fearing that their newborns might not have a preschool spot until Fall 2026, parents had rallied behind a petition for immediate action.
Mayor Sigurgeirsson, in an interview with mbl.is, revealed that the decision to open the care unit stemmed from a more practical approach rather than expanding existing daycare facilities. He shared, "Our initial plan was to upgrade the daycare options. But the newly approved plan offers a better alternative: opening the dedicated infant care unit, staffing it, and welcoming 16 children. Everyone's overjoyed!"
New Regulations at Play
The shift from expanding daycare facilities to opening a care unit was fairly influenced by new regulations from the Quality and Supervision Agency for Welfare.
At first unaware of these changes, Sigurgeirsson discovered that if the town had opted for daycare, they would be restricted to a maximum of ten children per facility. Given the restriction, he realized that the care unit model fit better with building capacity constraints.
Under the new regulations, an experienced caregiver can only supervise five children, allowing for a maximum of four children with new staff. Given these limitations, the care unit was seen as the more efficient choice. Preparations have already commenced, with job postings set to be announced soon, and work underway to adapt the space to cater to the youngest children.
A Brighter Tomorrow for Seltjarnarnes' Childcare
August 2025 marks the planned opening date for this much-needed facility. Sigurgeirsson expects the unit to accommodate more children than initially planned, with final adjustments being made as we speak.
Looking beyond August, Seltjarnarnes prepares to issue a tender in May for the construction of a new preschool building—another election promise delivered by the Independence Party. The building will be equipped to house eight departments, reducing the admission age for children to ideally 12 months old. Construction is expected to take approximately a year and a half.
Mayor Sigurgeirsson also highlighted the challenges posed by recent changes in Reykjavík's policies, which have affected municipalities like Seltjarnarnes. He explained, "The change wasn't communicated clearly, causing our waiting list to grow rapidly." Despite these hurdles, Seltjarnarnes presses forward to ensure its young population receives the quality care they deserve.
- The Quality and Supervision Agency for Welfare's new regulations significantly influenced the decision to open a dedicated infant care unit in Seltjarnarnes, rather than expand existing daycare facilities.
- Due to the regulations, a maximum of ten children per daycare facility would impose constraints on the municipality, making the care unit model a more efficient choice.
- An experienced caregiver can only supervise five children, allowing for a maximum of four children with new staff in the care unit, as per the new regulations.
- Seltjarnarnes is also planning to construct a new preschool building, equipped to house eight departments, with an aim to reduce the admission age for children to a young as 12 months old.
- The care unit is expected to accommodate more children than initially planned, and the new preschool building's construction is scheduled to start in May, with completion expected in approximately a year and a half.
- Mayor Sigurgeirsson acknowledged challenges posed by recent changes in Reykjavík's policies, but expressed determination to ensure high-quality care for the town's young population, improving family dynamics, lifestyle, education-and-self-development, relationships, and home-and-garden for many Seltjarnarnes families.
