In the school year 2017/2018 there were 13,145 places for early childhood education operating on the national territory. The authorized facilities – 51% of which were public – covered 24.7% of the potential users, i.e. children under 3 years of age.
This endowment, although slightly increasing, was still below the 33% parameter set in 2002 by the EU for 2010. There was a wide heterogeneity among territories: 47 out of 100 children in Valle d’Aosta had education services, while in Campania they were less than 9 out of 100 children.
Supply consisted by 79% of traditional nurseries, 2% of company crèches and 10% of availability in the “sezioni primavera” that receive children aged 24-36 months.