AK analysis shows:

Childcare for the youngest children remains an Achilles’ heel in Upper Austria

When it comes to care for children under three, only a few municipalities receive top marks.(Bild: LAND OÖ / FOTOKERSCHI / WERNER KERSCHBAUMMAYR)

Opening and closing hours, lunch options, and overall availability: The Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor (AK) published this year’s Child Care Atlas on Tuesday. The—rather incomplete—report shows that the state still has urgent ground to make up, particularly when it comes to care for children under three.

For 27 years, the AK has been surveying the general conditions of childcare in Upper Austria. In collaboration with the IFES Institute, this year’s Child Care Atlas once again examines parameters such as available services by age group, the facilities’ opening and closing times, and whether lunch is provided. Based on these criteria, municipalities are ranked in categories ranging from 1A (best) to D (worst). 

AK President Andreas Stangl presented the latest study on Tuesday. His conclusion: Upper Austria has ground to make up in the area of early childhood education and care (KBB). “There are many dedicated municipalities and encouraging developments. However, we must not rest on our laurels with just a few showcase projects.” Especially when it comes to caring for the youngest children, there is still plenty of room for improvement in this region. 

Good early childhood education and care is essential for parents to be able to work. The state must provide the necessary funding.

Andreas Stangl, Präsident AK OÖ

Only 31 Municipalities Top the List
According to the report, only 31 municipalities here achieved the top grade of 1A; 141 were rated A, 75 were rated B, and a total of 32 were rated C or D. However—and this applies to the entire publication: Only 279 of the 438 municipalities in Upper Austria participated in the survey; 159 municipalities (36 percent) did not provide any data. According to the office of Christine Haberlander (ÖVP), the deputy governor responsible for the KBB, the AK study is therefore “not representative.” The only meaningful data are the 2025/26 daycare statistics presented by Haberlander in May, whose findings regarding childcare availability are significantly more positive. 

Call for Mandatory Needs Assessment
Stangl, on the other hand, criticizes the refusal of the 159 municipalities: The public has a right to know the state of child care in their municipality. In addition to comprehensive, needs-based, and full-time educational offerings, he therefore calls for, among other things, a “mandatory and professional needs assessment in municipalities and districts.”