May 22, 2026
On the sidelines of the High-Level Conference “No Child Left Behind,” organized by the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 20–21 May 2026 in Nicosia, a high-level delegation from the European Commission visited the Laionikos Nursery School on Friday, 22 May 2026. The facility is a participating provider in the “Tuition Subsidy Scheme for Children”, which is co-funded by the European Union under the “THALIA 2021–2027” Cohesion Policy Programme and implemented by the Welfare Benefits Administration Service of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare.
The visit was attended, on behalf of the European Commission, by the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), Mario Nava, accompanied by officials Jiri Svarc, Christos Koulouteris, Stefan Iszkowski, and Olga Jablonowska. Representing Cyprus were the Director-General of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, Yiannis Nikolaides, a delegation from the Welfare Benefits Administration Service as the implementing body of the Scheme, as well as a delegation from the Directorate General Growth of the Ministry of Finance, the Managing Authority of the “THALIA 2021–2027” Programme.
During the visit, the delegation toured the nursery’s facilities and was informed about its operations and the preschool care and education services provided. Discussions also focused on the importance of investing in early childhood, supporting families, combating child poverty, and the day-to-day implementation of the Scheme at the institutional level.
It is noted that the Scheme subsidizes up to 80% of tuition and meal costs for children up to 4 years old, covering approximately 23,000 children for the 2026–2027 school year.
Cyprus recorded the largest increase in participation of children up to the age of three in preschool care and education at the European level.
For more information regarding the co-funded project, please click here.
