🇻🇳 Care · early learning · safe handover
Childcare, nurseries and preschool in Vietnam
Vietnam's mầm non provision combines care, nurture and education from infancy to school entry. Families will find full preschools, nursery groups, kindergarten classes, independent private groups and international-school early years. Ask which authorised type covers the exact premises, who issued the permission and which ages and capacity it includes.
Last verified 30 August 2026
The short answer
How should families research early-years care in Vietnam?
Vietnam’s Education Law places nursery education, kindergarten education and combined preschool institutions inside the education system, broadly serving children from three months to six years. Decree 125/2024 sets the establishment and operating conditions, while consolidated 2026 rules cover independent private nursery/kindergarten/preschool groups. Ask the provider for both the establishment/permission evidence and permission to conduct educational activities where applicable, then verify with the responsible local education authority.
Understand what each provider is offering
Four types of care that can look similar online
A provider's name may describe its teaching approach or language rather than its legal category. Check who is responsible for the child, which premises are covered and which authority oversees the service.
Nhà trẻ / nursery group
Infant and toddler care within Vietnam’s preschool-education structure.
Mẫu giáo / kindergarten
Kindergarten classes combine care, nurture and preschool education.
Trường mầm non
A preschool institution can combine nursery and kindergarten stages.
Independent group/class
Smaller independent private nursery, kindergarten or combined classes have their own current rules.
Childcare varies by location
Compare choice, daily handovers and backup arrangements
This is a planning comparison, not a directory or provider endorsement. Swipe the table on smaller screens.
| Family base | What you are likely to find | What can make planning harder | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam’s deepest private, bilingual and international early-years market, especially in established family districts. | Traffic, flood-prone access and campus/branch changes can make the same brand very different in practice. | Exact local permission, room staffing, live wet-season handovers, child-capable emergency route and future school transition. |
| Hanoi | A broad international and bilingual market with strong school-linked pathways. | Air pollution, humid heat and cool damp winters change indoor environment, outdoor play and illness planning. | Indoor-air and ventilation records, seasonal policy, actual outdoor thresholds, heating/cooling and attendance continuity. |
| Da Nang | A smaller market that may offer simpler daily routes and a close community. | Fewer equivalent alternatives and typhoon/flood disruption make continuity and future-stage planning more important. | Storm closure and communication plan, staff retention, next-stage school route, building drainage and external support fallback. |
Four checks before accepting a place
A pleasant tour does not answer every question
A calm room at 10am tells you little about registration, late-day staffing, safeguarding or emergency response. Ask each question in writing and keep the answer.
Two permissions
An establishment decision and permission to conduct educational activity answer different questions.
Class size and teachers
National and independent-group rules vary by age and form; a total-centre ratio hides room deployment.
Bilingual reality
A foreign curriculum label does not show how toddlers receive comfort, safety instructions and intimate care.
Environment and protection
Air, heat, storms, food safety and transport need written thresholds and responsibility.
A useful way to compare providers
How children move from nursery to kindergarten in Vietnam
The stages connect, but the age group, type of class and approval must still match your child. Check each stage rather than assuming one provider is authorised for every age.
Nursery group
Care from three months needs age-specific staffing and clear arrangements for sleep, feeding and intimate care.
Kindergarten class
Care and education continue with age-appropriate class and teacher rules.
Preschool institution
A full mầm non school may combine both stages under one authorised institution and campus.
Moving to primary school
Language, records and school readiness should connect to the child's actual next school and entry age.
Follow one ordinary day
Check what happens throughout an ordinary day
Ask the provider to talk you through these moments for your child's actual age group. Arrivals, meals, sleep and collection can tell you more about daily care than a list of activities.
- 1Đón trẻ
Arrival and health check
Attendance, symptoms, authorised adult, medicines and belongings are recorded.
- 2Chăm sóc
Care and nutrition
Menus, food source, allergy separation, water, bottles, naps, nappies and cleaning logs.
- 3Học qua chơi
Learning through play
The real national/approved programme, languages, outdoor play and developmental observation.
- 4Late day
Staffing after class
Who remains, mixed groups, collection cut-off and handover when traffic delays a parent.
- 5Trả trẻ
Collection and daily record
Collector verification, food/sleep/toileting, injury/medicine record and missed-collection escalation.
Compare the care you can actually use
Check the timetable and terms, not only the monthly fee
Compare the complete arrangement. Opening hours, closures and notice terms can matter more to family life than a small difference in fees.
| Part of the agreement | What to confirm before payment | What can cause problems |
|---|---|---|
| Place and settling | Named child, start date, age room, settling sessions, key person and trial/withdrawal process | A deposit reserves a brand, not the promised room or start date |
| Complete fees | Registration, deposit, tuition, meals, nappies, transport, activities, late pickup, tax and annual increases | A low headline fee with compulsory extras and no refund trigger |
| Calendar and hours | Opening/collection windows, term dates, staff-training days, public holidays and emergency closures | School-style hours sold as full working-day childcare |
| Health and absence | Illness exclusions, medicines, allergies, outbreaks, immunisation records, emergency consent and fee treatment | Policies discovered only after the child is excluded or needs medicine |
| Notice and records | Notice period, refund rules, suspension/termination, complaints, privacy, photographs and portable progress/health records | Long notice, weak refund rights or no usable handover record |
Research before the move
Arrive with two well-researched options
You can complete most of the important research before travelling. Use an in-person visit to see how staff and children interact and confirm the premises, rather than starting the search from scratch.
- 01
Translate the category
Record the Vietnamese legal type, not only ‘international nursery’, and match it to the child’s age.
- 02
Verify locally
Ask the responsible education authority to confirm the premises, permissions, age groups and current operation.
- 03
Compare the exact classroom
Request child count, teacher deployment, languages and a normal-day timetable for the room offered.
- 04
Plan for difficult days
Ask how care would work during poor air quality, flooding, a storm or a late finish at work before paying.
Fit childcare into everyday family life
The place also needs to work with your journeys and backup plan
Consider the child's next school, healthcare, lawful in-home help and your ordinary working week alongside the childcare place itself.
Common questions
Questions about childcare and preschool in Vietnam
What ages does preschool cover in Vietnam?
Vietnam’s Education Law describes nursery education and kindergarten education before primary school; combined preschool institutions can receive children from three months to six years. The exact provider may be authorised for only particular ages or class forms, so verify its documents.
How do I check a private nursery in Vietnam?
Ask for the exact Vietnamese legal name, establishment/permission document, permission to conduct educational activity where applicable, address, authorised type and capacity. Confirm these with the responsible local People’s Committee or education authority; the central education database is primarily an administrative system, not always a simple public consumer search.
Are small independent preschools regulated in Vietnam?
Yes. Independent private nursery groups, kindergarten classes and combined preschool classes have a specific regulatory framework, consolidated in 2026. Ask which provisions apply, the authorised maximum, teacher deployment and local permission.
What class sizes apply in a Vietnamese independent preschool?
The current rules specify different maxima by age and form, and minimum teacher deployment. Rather than copying one ratio from the internet, ask the provider to cite the rule for the offered group and show the actual daily child and staff register.
Will a bilingual Vietnam nursery prepare my child for an international school?
It can support the transition, but brand labels do not prove language quality or admissions fit. Ask how much of the day each language is used, by whom, how progress is reported and how the programme connects to the exact receiving school.
What air-quality questions matter in Hanoi?
Ask what monitor/source is used, thresholds for outdoor play and closure, indoor measurements, filter specification and maintenance, room-volume performance and parent communication. Families with clinical concerns should agree a personal plan with an appropriate clinician.
How should food allergies be managed in a Vietnam preschool?
Require a translated written allergy plan, ingredient and supplier controls, kitchen/cross-contact procedures, trained staff, medication storage/access, emergency thresholds, parent contact and receiving hospital. Test the policy with a realistic scenario.
What happens to fees when a Vietnam nursery closes for storms or outbreaks?
There is no safe universal assumption. The contract should state closure authority, remote/alternative provision, fee credit or refund, meals/transport treatment and how long the provider can suspend attendance before either party may end the agreement.