The Institute of Education of Barcelona (IMEB) is a local autonomous body of Barcelona City Council considered a technical-legal management body. It currently manages 103 nursery schools and 23 municipal family childcare spaces (7 directly managed by IMEB). The objectives of the IMEB are:

• Improve educational action and access to public educational opportunities in the city, within the framework of Barcelona’scommitment as an educating city.

• Promote public education and quality educational services for young children (0-3 years and families, as a tool for social cohesion.

• Diversify the public educational offer to suit the needs of the city, including that aimed at young children (0-3 years), and correct territorial imbalances and social inequalities.

Currently, the network of nursery schools and municipal childcare spaces managed by the IMEB offers 8,900 public places and more than 1,000 professionals from various fields work in it to offer quality service. The 103 municipal nursery schools act as educational centres and at the same time train future child educators with vocational and university degree students who do internships. Activities and experience of the organisation:

a) With regard to the imbalance between supply and demand:

1. We are working on increasing the offer of public places in our ECEC services.

2. Offer and expansion of other childcare services: municipal family childcare spaces.

3. Support for childcare projects through cession agreements, subsidies, etc…

b) Policy regarding barriers, inequalities and exclusions:

1. Implementation of the social payment (paying depending on the family income).

2. Incorporation of the figure of social educators, currently already in 10 nursery schools.

3. Reinforcement of inclusive education in nursery schools, with the expansion of the resources allocated and collaboration

with various agents, currently 17.

4. Strengthening the socio-educational approach, through the services provided by the family spaces of childcare

5. Participating in social commissions and working with municipal social services.

6. Reserving places for situations of social vulnerability that may entail a risk for the development of children.

c) About the quality of services

1. There is an educational model shared by the whole network, revised and updated in 2019.

2. Continuous training of the professionals who work there.

3. Accompaniment to all nursery schools and family spaces, from the proximity and with coordinated action.

4. Provision of a team of professionals specialised in inclusive education.

5. Directly developing architectural projects for nursery schools and family childcare spaces, based on the needs of children

and educators, through IMEB’s technical and maintenance services.

c) Community life and participation:

1. A Plan for Improving education and Childcare for Early Childhood 2021-24.

2. Design and implementation of the “Houses of Earchy child” municipal nursery schools as community facilities.

3. Relationships established with the Parents’ Associations of the municipal nursery schools.

4. Participation in the School Councils of all primary schools, with the presence of the entire educational community.

5. By means of subsidies.

d) About Climate Justice

1. “Early childhood services for the climate”: strategy of the municipal primary schools for climate justice, 47 actions

planned, in a 2030 timeframe, in the area of the municipal primary schools.

Alícia Aguilera, Head of Direction of Municipal Centers at Institut of Education of Barcelona with a long experience in leading ECEC services, teams and policy.

Judith Cucala, responsible for the Childhood Department at the Institut of Education of Barcelona with a long experience in ECEC services design, implementation and evaluation

Marta Fontanet, responsible for the Inclusivity Unit in the Childhood Education Department at the Institut of Education, an expert on inclusion in ECEC services

Beth Bàrbara, head of Community Action in the Area of Education at Barcelona City Council, an expert on community approach in ECEC services