Impact of Covid-19: Closure of early childhood settings

The map in figure 1 reflects the closure of early childhood education and care settings with an expected date of opening. This covers settings at ISCED levels 01 and 02. The levels differentiate between provisions for children who are younger or older than three years of age. If settings accept only children of key or essential workers but no other children, then they count as closed on the map. The map reflects the decision taken for settings for younger children, where this decision is different to that for children three years and over. The category ‘Operating or authorised to operate’ includes systems where decisions are taken by local authorities or the facility itself. In the case of Belgium and Portugal, closure affects settings at ISCED level 02. In Germany, the map reflects the most common situation in the country, given that it is not uniform. In Denmark, settings are allowed to operate if they can respect social distancing and hygiene norms.