(Studentsamskipnaden SiO)

Article 1 Purpose

SiO Kindergartens is owned and operated by Studentsamskipnaden SiO. Its purpose is to contribute to equal educational opportunities by giving students with children access to a safe and educationally well-founded
nursery school focused on play, learning and experience. SiO Kindergartens must have offers that are adapted to students’ needs.

Article 2 Definitions
“Student” is a person with a study place at one of the educational institutions of Studentsamskipnaden SiO who has paid the semester fee to SiO for the current semester. Persons who are planning to study can also apply, subject to the assumption that their student status is documented before start-up.
Students who are sick or on leave are covered.
Parents in internships or practical training associated with SiO’s educational institutions are also deemed to be students.

Article 3 Admission criteria
Nursery school places are allocated according to procedures drawn up by Oslo Municipality. This is because SiO Kindergartens is included in the coordinated admission process (cf. Section 12 of the Norwegian Nursery School Act).

The administrator, on behalf of the owner, handles the formal admission. A condition for allocation of a place is that it can be documented that the child has been vaccinated in accordance with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s vaccination programme.
Exemptions from this requirement can be granted if the child cannot be vaccinated on medical grounds. The reason for the lack of vaccination must be documented by a physician.

Students who have paid the semester fees to SiO may be allocated a nursery school place.

For the main admission in August, the application must be received before 1 March. Places can be applied for throughout the year and admission takes place on an ongoing basis, in accordance with the following criteria:

SiO students - Section 13 of the Norwegian Nursery School Act concerning the statutory priority
right of children with functional disabilities. Children subject to decisions under Sections 4-12 and 4-4, second and fourth paragraphs, of the
Norwegian Child Welfare Services Act.
SiO students - siblings of children with places
SiO students - single parents
SiO students - international students
Other students affiliated to SiO
Students not affiliated to SiO
PhD/doctoral fellows at one of SiO's educational institutions
Other applicants

Article 4 Disclosure obligation
Applicants are obliged to provide full and correct information that is of importance to the assessment of the application.
Incorrect and incomplete information in the application, including information concerning health and vaccination standards, may result in rejection or subsequent loss of a place.

Article 5 Complaints and appeals
Any rejection of an application for a nursery school place may be appealed to the Control Committee for the allocation of nursery school places.
The complaint must be submitted to SiO Nursery Schools no later than two weeks after the rejection has been received.
The complaint must be substantiated and documented.

Article 6 The Control Committee for the allocation of nursery school places
The Control Committee consists of three members appointed by the Simos Executive Board,
on the recommendation of the Welfare Council in Oslo and Akershus. The main task of the Control Committee is to ensure that the nursery school places are allocated in accordance with the by-laws.

The members must sign a confidentiality declaration and must
treat all personal data as confidential. The Control Committee will have access to all relevant information.

Article 7 Contract
Every party that is allocated a place must enter into a contract with SiO Kindergartens. A contract is established when the offer is accepted. Children who have been allocated a place will retain the nursery school place until they start school, even if the parents are no longer students. On accepting a place, the child’s provider undertakes to comply with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s child vaccination programme.

Article 8 Determination of payment
The Executive Board will determine the payment for a nursery school place. The rate will be calculated on the basis of the household’s total personal income, in accordance with Chapter 12 of the Norwegian Tax Act.

A household may comprise a married couple, registered partners or cohabiting partners.

Cohabiting partners are two unmarried persons aged over 18 who share a home, and have been in a marriage-like
relationship for at least one year, or have a child or children together.

If the guardian/parent is separated or divorced, and lives alone, the calculation basis is solely this person’s income.
In cases where the child resides permanently with both parents, such as alternate weeks with one parent, the payment is calculated on the basis of the income of the parent/guardian who has the same registered address as the child.

Free lunch is served to all children with student parents who pay a semester fee to SiO.

The rates may be changed with six weeks’ notice.

Article 9 Documentation and change of rate
On the allocation of places, before the deadline set, the parents/guardians must submit an application form
and their last tax return filed. If this documentation has not been provided within this deadline, the maximum payment rate will be set. If the application form and the last tax return filed are submitted after the stipulated deadline, or a change is notified that gives a lower payment rate, the payment will be adjusted as from the following month. If the adjustment results in a higher payment basis, it will be calculated retroactively.

Parents/guardians are obliged to report significant and permanent changes in income that may affect the payment for the place.

NB! Everyone must apply by 30 June at the latest each year, to get a reduced price! It is not necessary to provide documentation of income if the total personal and capital income exceeds the income limit. The highest rate will be set.

Sibling discount: if you have several children at kindergartens who reside at the same address, you will pay 70% of the price for the second child, and 50% of the price for child number three (or additional children).

As from August 2019, free core time will be offered to 2-, -3, 4- and 5-year-olds, for which the income limit is set at NOK 548,167.

Article 10 Payment
The payment deadline is 14 days after the invoice date. The annual payment is distributed over 11 months. No payment is made in the month of July.

Payment is made for any place that is not used, if it has not been terminated and the notice period has not expired. No payment exemption is granted in the event of illness, travel or similar.

On admission during the period comprising the 1st-15th of a month, the full price will be paid for this month. On admission from the 16th of a month, half price will be paid for this month.

Three days after the amount is due, you will receive a text-message reminder.

Seven days after the amount is due, a collection letter without any charge will be sent by email. If payment is still outstanding, the case will be sent to a debt collection company for further follow-up.

Article 11 Termination
A kindergarten place may be terminated with a minimum of two months’ notice before the 1st or 15th of the month.

Payment must be made during the notice period, whether the child uses the place or not.

A kindergarten place may be terminated electronically.

Article 12 Opening hours
The opening hours are from 07.30 to 17.00 on all business days.

SiO Kindergartens is closed in July, but places in the summer nursery school can be applied for.

SiO Kindergartens has up to five planning days per year. On these days, SiO Kindergartens is closed.
Planning days must be notified in good time.

Article 13 Parent Council and Cooperation Committee
The Parent Council consists of parents/guardians of all children in the kindergarten. Together with the Cooperation Committee, it promotes the parents’ common interests and contributes to the cooperation between thekindergarten and the parent group on creating a good kindergarten environment (Section 4 of the Norwegian Nursery School Act).
The Parent Council elects parental representatives to the Cooperation Committee (SU). One vote for each child is granted for voting by the Parent Council. Decisions are taken by ordinary majority vote.

The Cooperation Committee consists of parents/guardians and nursery school staff,
so that each group is equally represented. The Cooperation Committee is an advisory, contact-creating and coordinating body.
The representatives can offer advice and input and arrange voluntary work, thematic evenings
and other events that can support contact between homes and the nursery school.

There will be a minimum of two, and maximum four, representatives from each of the parent/staff groups.
There is also a chairman who has no voting rights and serves as the Committee’s secretary.

The Parent Council and the Cooperation Committee will review and will be entitled to speak in cases
that are important for the parents’ interests at the kindergarten. The Cooperation Committee will adopt an annual plan for the pedagogical activities.

Article 14 Values and annual plan
SiO Kindergartens must have a shared set of values and an annual plan must be drawn for the individual nursery school.
The set of values and the annual plan are the overall pedagogical management tools and set the framework for the activities (Section 2 of the Norwegian Nursery School Act).

Article 15 Standard area
The play and living area must be approximately 4 sqm per child.

Article 16 Duty of confidentiality
The rules concerning confidentiality in Sections 13 to 13f of the Norwegian Administration Act will also apply.

Article 17 Clean criminal record
Staff employed by SiO Kindergartens must provide documentation of a clean criminal record.

Article 18 Internal control
A quality assurance system for health, safety and the environment has been drawn up under the Norwegian Nursery School Act, as well as the environmental health regulations.

Article 19 Amendments
These by-laws may be amended by the Executive Board of SiO on the recommendation of the Welfare Council. Editorial amendments are made by the administration on an ongoing basis.

Article 20 Entry into force
The by-laws enter into force on 1 July 2019

The maximum fee for SiO Kindergarten is NOK 2 990 per month. Free lunch is provided for all children of student parents who pay the SiO semester fee. For others, the cost for lunch comes to 270 NOK per month. 

Free core time

From August 1st 2019, 2, 3, 4 and 5 year olds from households with a combined income lower than 566 100 NOK are entitled to free core time in kindergarten (20 hours a week). To receive free core time you must apply for reduced kindergarten fees.

What is considered income?
The kindergarten fee is calculated from the combined taxable capital income and personal income for the household where the child’s place of residence is registered. This applies both to reduced kindergarten fees and free core time.

• Spouses, registered partners and partners are considered as part of the household
• Partners are defined as unmarried persons of age 18 and older who live together, and have lived together in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 of the last 18 months, or have a child together
• If a child regularly lives with both parents, kindergarten fees are calculated from the income of the household where the child is registered
• A study loan is not considered as income

You must apply in order to receive reduced kindergarten fees. Application deadline for new kindergarten applicants is 3 weeks from accepting the offer of Kindergarten placement offer.  Applications received after the deadline is valid from the following invoice month. For current users: Applications for reduced kindergarten fees must be sent before the end of June 2017, and is valid through June 2018.   

Read more about reduced kindergarten fees here.

The invoice is sent in advance and the invoice date is no later than the last day of the month.

The due date is 12 days after you receive the invoice.

We will send you an SMS reminder 3 days after the due date.

We will then send you a second reminder 7 days after the due date.

15 days after due date the invoice will be sent to Modhi for debt collection notice.

If you have more than one child in SiO Kindergarten and they are living at the same address you will pay 70 % for the second child and 50 % for the third child (or more children).

When you receive an offer for a kindergarten spot, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. You agree to the contract by clicking on the link included, and then accepting the offer. 

Children shall retain their kindergarten place until they start school even if their parents are no longer students.

Our kindergartens have 2 months notice. If you wish to terminate the contact, please  log in here. Remember to give notice before the 1st or the 15th  of the month.