Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) is working on a plan to lower the prices of after-school programs in Israel, Channel 2 reported on Monday night.
According to the report, Kahlon will set the maximum price for afternoon programs at 930 NIS, and is working with municipal leaders to give parents an additional subsidy based on locality.
The plan is expected to reduce the average family's financial burden by a few hundred shekels per month.
The plan will also enforce set hours for the afternoon programs, with preschoolers ending at 5:00 p.m. and first- and second-graders ending at 4:30 p.m. In addition, Kahlon's plan will force afternoon programs to provide a set number of staff.
According to Kahlon, the new program will begin in September.
However, not all the details have been finalized.
Statistically, it should cost 500 NIS per month to place a child in an afternoon program. However, the programs charge more, and the parents are the ones who are forced to bear the costly burden.
Mandating that all afternoon programs end at five in effect means all preschool children who require an afternoon program will only be "dismissed" at 5 p.m. - even if their parents can and want to pick them up earlier.
If Kahlon's program does go through, solving the "no early pickup" issue would require additionally mandating a 3:30 p.m. pickup option, as well as a 4:00 p.m. pickup option - neither of which are under consideration.