The private day care market - Italy

Nursery is a service with a social and educational purpose organized to welcome children from 3 months up to 3 years of age. The organization must provide for the stay of the child with the possibility of having a meal and rest. It is a service that falls into the more general category of childcare, that is the care offered to infants and small children by both public and private facilities when their parents are absent for work or other reasons. Globally, the most prosperous market is represented by the Asian one immediately followed by that of Western Europe. On the other hand, the African market is the least developed. In 2015, over 8000 private nursery schools were registered within the Italian territory, representing more than half of the total number of structures used to provide this service. In total, it is assumed that Italian private nurseries are able to cover about 13% of the total addressable market (consisting of children aged 3 months to 3 years). In terms of affordability, in 2020 there was a general increase of about 15 euros in the average rates for private facilities, relating to all the time slots normally offered by private nurseries. Although current data and future forecasts are quite positive, this market is experiencing strong competition from alternative models focused on the education and sociality of children. Examples of these alternative businesses are child and family centers, home education services, family crèches or family educators.