Toddler Health

Spain has a national health service financed by Seguridad Sociale (social security) contributions and run by the various autonomous health departments throughout the country. Residents need a social security number to qualify for treatment.

Residents are equally entitled to pay for healthcare in the private sector.

The Spanish healthcare system is generally acknowledged to be very good. Most hospitals are modern and well-equipped and the doctors and paediatricians are excellent. However do not assume that they will speak much English even in the resort areas and major cities. In some areas there will be someone providing a voluntary translation service to help with doctor's appointments. The local medical centre will advise if such a service exists.

Day-to-day treatment of childhood ailments is managed by a General Practitioner (GP). Local anglophone embassies and consulates can usually provide a list of English-speaking doctors in an area. Also see The AngloFILE under Health & Fitness for the relevant category.

• The American Embassy in Spain publishes details of some English speaking professionals on its website: Click here

Note: Within the National Health Service a GP may be assigned by the local medical centre – it may not be possible to specify a preference. Within the private sector the choice is open. Dental treatment in Spain is managed within the private sector.

Medicines and vaccinations

Medicines are always prescribed by a doctor using an official prescription and the patient is required to pay approximately 40 percent of the government capped price. Drugs and medicine are sold at pharmacies. All regions have an open pharmacy at nights and on weekends. Find the on-duty pharmacy by looking in the local Spanish newspaper or on the window of a closed pharmacy where a list of contacts is usually be posted. 

The parent of a child requiring a hospital stay caries out tasks such as personal care and feeding. All hospitals allow one companion to be with the patient 24 hours a day.

Vaccinations required can vary by year and by the area of residence. 

• For up to date information consult the Ministry of Health: Click here

Children who attend pre-school or private nurseries are likely to be seen regularly by medical professionals. 

• In an emergency, go to the nearest accident or emergency hospital
• If necessary, call an ambulance by dialing 112 (the Pan-European SOS helpline)

Social Security Benefits

The Spanish Seguridad Sociale office is responsible for maternity and childcare benefits. Much of the website has been translated into English and provides detailed information on entitlement and how to apply. 

• For details of benefits available to those with dependent children: Click here

Child benefit is paid for children under 18 years of age (older if the child has a disability) as long as the place of residence is Spain and benefits are not being claimed elsewhere. There is a maximum limit on earnings, but this increases depending on the number of dependent children. Application must be made to the local INSS (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social) office. 

• For details of documentation required by EU and non-EU citizens: Click here 
• To find the nearest INSS office: Click here  then select the appropriate region
• For listings of other useful addresses and information on the benefit system in Spain see the European Union website (Europa): Click here 

Childcare and Pre-primary Education

The overall education in Spain is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Science (Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia). Control of the  establishments is managed locally and differs according to the regional education authority. Local bodies specify minimum amounts of educational activity (as opposed to pure play time), guidelines for opening hours, adult/child ratios, basic safety regulations, and parent/teacher consultations.

• Also see AngloINFO INFOrmation Page: Education & Schooling in Spain
• For further information on the education system in Spain see the European Union web site, Europa: Click here  

Pre-school (escuela infantil)

Pre-school education is available in Spain up to six years and is divided into two groups: 

• up to three years 
• from three to six years

This stage is not compulsory although the government guarantees there will be sufficient places in state schools to ensure schooling for those who request it free of charge. Children usually attend local schools.

Normally there are between 20 and 25 children in each class. Although traditionally a very family orientated society with many mothers staying at home or sending small children to grandparents for care, the numbers of children enrolling in Spanish pre-schools is on the increase.

For most Spanish children, school starts with nursery or pre-school (preescolar/escuela infantil), from around the age of four. Compulsory education (escolaridad obligatoria), begins at six years of age in a primary school (escuela primaria).

The teaching medium is Spanish at all levels. Parents who wish their child to be educated in English will need to look at pre-schools in the private sector. There are a number of foreign and international schools in Spain, many with nursery facilities.

• For more information see website International Schools Worldwide: Click here

Childcare in the Private Sector

Childcare in the private sector is available and in the larger cities and towns there is normally a good choice of facilities. There are nurseries (known as Guarderias or Casas de ninos) and pre-schools (often known as Escuelas Infantiles). Those in larger towns and cities frequently have English- and Spanish-speaking staff. It is common for there to be regular visits from medical personnel as part of the services on offer. Meals are usually provided and many schools place a strong emphasis on healthy eating from a young age.

It is also common for pre-schools to be registered with the Ministry of Education or with the local authorities and to publicise this as a guarantee of quality.

• As the Spanish can work long hours, many nurseries stay open into the evenings all year round. Typical hours are from 07:00 to 21:00 with actual activities running between the hours of 10:00 and 17:00
• Some nurseries provide bus services to pick up and drop off children
• It is quite normal to request a visit to a nursery or facility to look round and ask questions before enrolling a child

Nannies/Au Pairs

As many students come to Spain to study there is a good supply of au pairs available. It is common to place adverts in local papers for jobs wanted or offered.

There are also a number of agencies who place au pairs internationally and these are easily found on the internet. Website Europa-Pages has addresses for au pair agencies in Spain.

Many people prefer to use an agency from the point of view of negotiations over duties and payment as well as knowing that references have been checked.

Babysitters and other childcare

Where a child is not regularly enrolled in a nursery or crèche, some facilities will take children on an ad-hoc basis or even provide home babysitting services.

Some of the resort areas also have multilingual babysitting services, originally aimed at holidaymakers. These are usually advertised in the local media, hotels and tourist offices or even online.

Babysitting is also popular among older children as a way of earning extra cash.

Toddler Groups

Mothers with small children will find that there are toddler groups about but these will vary greatly depending on the region. There is unlikely to be much available in rural areas. See The AngloFILE category on Family Life & Living (red box, above).

In the larger cities and towns and in the tourist areas there are English speakers who have relocated to Spain that it is usually possible to find groups to join.

It is worth asking at tourist offices and local consulates too as these tend to keep all sorts of information of interest to new residents.

Out and About with Toddlers

Children are rarely left at home in Spain so most places are used to catering for them including restaurants.

Spain has plenty of activities for those with young children. Again the range of facilities on offer will depend on location. Most towns have parks which are generally well maintained as well as swimming pools and other facilities.

To find out what is available locally the tourist office or the online equivalent for the area is a good source of information. The demand among non-Spaniards for child friendly activities means that there are now facilities such as soft-play areas in some towns and cities.

The Spanish rail network RENFE allows under three-year-olds to travel free of charge and under sevens for half-price.

Further information

• Madrid Directory (listings of all sorts of services including childcare)
• Spanish tourism portal
• Ministry of Health

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