How to Open a Daycare in Turkey — 2026 Guide

Opening a daycare (kreş) in Turkey is a multi-step process that combines regulatory compliance, physical setup, staffing, and a reliable digital backbone for daily operations. This guide walks through the essentials in seven steps so prospective operators can plan a realistic timeline.

What is a Daycare in the Turkish Context?

In Turkey, a daycare (kreş) is a licensed facility that provides supervised care and early-childhood education for children, typically aged 0-6. Daycares operate under regulations issued by the Ministry of Family and Social Services and, where pre-school education is provided, the Ministry of National Education (MEB).

Steps to Open a Daycare

1. Plan permits and licensing — Decide whether you are opening a private daycare, a child day-care centre, or an MEB-approved private education institution. Each path has its own application route, inspection schedule, and minimum facility requirements (square metres per child, dedicated kitchen, infirmary, outdoor play area).
2. Register the business and tax obligations — Complete municipal workplace permits, tax office registration, and SGK employer enrolment before recruiting staff.
3. Choose a location — Look for residential neighbourhoods with strong demand for early-childhood care, ground-floor access, and zoning that permits daycare use.
4. Design the facility — Build out age-grouped classrooms, secure outdoor space, hygienic kitchen and nappy-change areas, plus a dedicated parent reception zone.
5. Hire qualified staff — Comply with the staff-to-child ratios in the 2026 regulation. Required documents typically include diplomas in child development or pre-school teaching, first-aid certificates, hygiene training, and clean criminal records.
6. Implement KVKK-compliant data handling — Daycares process sensitive child and family data. Prepare explicit-consent forms, processing inventories, retention policies, and breach response procedures aligned with KVKK.
7. Choose daycare management software — Use a platform such as Kreş Yönetimi for child registration, attendance, billing, parent notifications (SMS and email), and reporting. A unified system reduces manual paperwork, supports KVKK compliance, and gives parents a portal to track their child's day in real time.

Why Software Matters from Day One

Operators often delay digitalisation until the daycare is already running, which makes migration painful. Configuring a management platform during setup means child profiles, staff roles, parent invitations, billing rules, and notification templates are ready when the doors open. Kreş Yönetimi offers a free trial so new operators can validate workflows before going live.