Banja Luka introduces subsidies for private after-school care

In Banja Luka, the introduction of a 200 KM subsidy for children attending private after-school care programs is beginning to impact the local market. While the subsidy aims to reduce costs for parents—bringing the average monthly expense for a private after-school program down to approximately 250 KM from 450 KM—private providers report that interest has not yet surged as expected.

Local childcare centers, such as ‘Sovica’, noted that they only decided to offer these services following the introduction of the subsidies. Although there has been significant inquiry from parents, concrete enrollments remain low, partly due to confusion and competition from public school programs. Some providers suggest that interest may increase in the coming weeks as families finalize their arrangements for the new school year.