Austria’s federal government has announced plans to allocate €300 million annually over the next two years to expand childcare services, with the aim of creating more places, reducing closures and improving opening hours for families.

Family Minister Claudia Bauer presented the initiative on September 7, 2026, alongside representatives of Austria’s municipalities and researchers from the Austrian Institute for Family Research. The announcement followed the publication of a new study examining childcare availability, operating hours and costs across the country.

The government says the additional funding will focus on areas where families continue to face shortages in childcare capacity. In particular, authorities want the investment to result in more childcare places, fewer closure days and longer or more reliable opening hours.

Bauer said genuine choice for parents depends on having both options available: families should be able to care for children at home if they wish, while parents who work or need to work should also have access to dependable childcare close to home.

The initiative is also linked to Austria’s integration policy. The government considers kindergartens and other early-childhood institutions important educational environments where children can develop language skills and become familiar with Austrian society.

According to figures presented with the announcement, around one-third of children in Austria’s early-childhood education system do not have German as their first language. The proportion varies by type of institution, reaching 48.9% in mixed-age facilities.

The newly presented study examines not only the number of childcare facilities and groups but also opening hours, group sizes and the costs associated with operating childcare services. Researchers are assessing how much public and private providers spend on individual groups and occupied childcare places.

The government believes improving childcare availability can have wider economic and social benefits. Reliable services can make it easier for parents to participate in employment while also giving children access to early education and development opportunities.

Austria’s federal government says childcare is a shared responsibility involving the federal government, states, municipalities, providers and childcare workers. The new federal funding is therefore intended to support improvements that will be implemented in cooperation with regional and local authorities.

The September 7 announcement is currently the latest government news item listed on Austria’s Federal Chancellery website.

The planned investment represents a significant expansion of federal support for childcare and reflects the government’s effort to improve availability while giving Austrian families greater flexibility in balancing childcare and employment.