Ministry Sets Maximum Temperature Limit for Nurseries, Requiring Parents to Pick Up Children When Exceeded

A new draft regulation by the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy establishes a maximum indoor temperature limit of 30 degrees Celsius for nurseries and children’s clubs, obligating facilities to close and parents to collect their children if cooling measures fail.

Ban on Care in Rooms Exceeding 30 Degrees Celsius

Childcare in nurseries and children’s clubs cannot be provided if the indoor temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius. The draft regulation published by the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy imposes new obligations on facilities during heatwaves, ranging from moving toddlers to cooler rooms to urgently calling parents and closing the facility.

The draft regulation regulating requirements for nurseries and preschools was published on Monday on the Government Legislation Centre website. The draft stipulates that childcare in a room where the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius cannot be exercised. This means that if the temperature in all rooms exceeds 30 degrees, and the managing entity does not have any other room allowing children to be provided with safe stay conditions, providing care for them will be inadmissible.

Staff Obligations: Notifying Parents and the Necessity of Picking Up the Child

In such a case, the staff will be required to immediately inform parents about the lack of possibility to provide care, indicate the days and hours during which care cannot be provided, and inform about the necessity of picking up the child from the facility.

Rules at Temperatures from 26 to 30 Degrees Celsius and Nurse Supervision

Furthermore, when the indoor temperature is greater than 26 degrees Celsius, but does not exceed 30 degrees, the staff of the nursery or children’s club will be required to place the children in another room, if such a room is located in the facility.

Alternatively, childcare can still be provided in the room originally intended for them under the condition of jointly meeting the requirements: ensuring children care and supervision by a nurse or midwife, limiting the uninterrupted stay of children in such a room to a maximum of four hours, and taking actions aimed at lowering the temperature in the room to a level no higher than 26 degrees.

Temporary Deviations from Space Limits Per Child

If moving children to a room with a temperature no higher than 26 degrees would result in exceeding the permissible child limit resulting from the requirements regarding the minimum area per child, a temporary deviation from these requirements is permitted, while children cannot stay in such a room for longer than four hours in total.

No Air Conditioning Installation Mandate and Optimal Thermal Comfort for Children

The proposed regulations do not introduce an obligation to equip nurseries and children’s clubs with air conditioning devices or perform specific construction investments. The manner of ensuring the required conditions regarding the provision of appropriate temperature remains at the discretion of the entity managing the facility, as noted in the justification to the draft.

It was emphasized that the most favorable temperature in rooms where children stay is considered to be around 20–22 degrees Celsius. The increase in temperature above this range causes a gradual deterioration of thermal comfort and increases the risk of overheating the child’s body.

It was proposed that the regulation enters into force after 14 days from the day of announcement.

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