At a state nursery (creșă) in Cluj there is no enrollment fee — only a monthly food contribution, set by each institution through its board’s decision. The old share-of-income rule no longer exists. You pay based on the child’s attendance days. The only nationally guaranteed exemption is for children at risk of separation from their family, with an approved service plan; the cost is then covered by the local budget.

Below you’ll find how the contribution is set in 2026, who can be exempt, and where to check the exact amount in Cluj.

How the fee is set in 2026

The old rule — a share of income (20% for one child, less for families with 2+ children) — came from Government Decision no. 1252/2012, which has been repealed. The current framework, Government Decision no. 566/2022 (the methodology for organising and running nurseries), changed the mechanism:

  • The monthly food contribution is set by the institution’s board decision, after consulting the parents (Art. 55).
  • At enrollment no fees are charged (Art. 16).
  • The contribution is calculated on actual attendance days and paid monthly, in advance. If in a given month the child attends 3 days at most, that month’s contribution carries over to the next month (Art. 56).
  • The contribution may also be paid with nursery vouchers, social vouchers or social coupons (Art. 55).

In practice there is no longer a national share-of-income rule: each nursery network sets its own daily amount.

How much you pay in Cluj

Cluj-Napoca’s public nurseries are now organised as a single legal entity — Creșa pentru Educație Timpurie Cluj-Napoca (the successor to the former Nursery Administration Budgetary Centre). Its board sets the food contribution.

By board decision no. 25 of 7 November 2024, the food contribution was set at 15 lei/day, from 1 January 2025 (up from 12 lei/day). For a month of about 20 working days, that comes to roughly ~300 lei/month — an estimate, not a published fixed amount.

Check the current amount. The rate can change. Confirm the up-to-date value at creseclujnapoca.ro/taxa-lunara or by phone at 0264-458.320 before relying on it.

Who is exempt from the fee

The exemption guaranteed by law covers a single clear category:

  • Children at risk of separation from their family, who have an approved service plan, are exempt fully or partially from the food contribution, with the cost taken over by the local budget (Government Decision 566/2022, Art. 55).

In Cluj, the procedure goes through DASM — the Directorate for Social and Medical Assistance, which substantiates and proposes to the mayor the exemption or reduction of the contribution. At enrollment, social cases additionally submit the service plan drawn up by DASM and a copy of the mayor’s decision on local-budget support. Places for social cases are limited to 5% of available places and can be filled year-round.

Beyond this category, no other income-based discount tier is published for the state nursery in Cluj. If you have a special situation (disability, single-parent family, several children), ask DASM or the nursery directly what applies in your case.

Where to find out more and how to pay

  • Creșa pentru Educație Timpurie Cluj-Napoca — tel. 0264-458.320; fee page: creseclujnapoca.ro/taxa-lunara
  • Payment can be made online (via primariaclujnapoca.ro or the nurseries’ page) or by bank transfer.
  • DASM Cluj-Napoca — for the exemption of children with an approved service plan.

For the enrollment steps, see our guide to enrolling in a state nursery, and for the comparison with private, public or private nursery.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a state nursery cost in Cluj in 2026? There’s no enrollment fee, only a food contribution per attendance day. In Cluj this was set at 15 lei/day from 1 January 2025 — confirm the current value at creseclujnapoca.ro or 0264-458.320.

Does the 20% income-based discount still exist? No. The share-of-income rule came from the repealed Government Decision 1252/2012. The contribution is now set by the nursery’s board, per attendance day.

Who is exempt from the state nursery fee? Children at risk of separation from their family, with an approved service plan — they are exempt fully or partially, with the cost covered by the local budget, via DASM and the mayor’s decision.

Do you pay if the child is absent? The contribution is calculated on attendance days. If in a month the child attends 3 days at most, that month’s contribution carries over to the next month.

Can I pay with nursery vouchers? Yes. The contribution may also be paid with nursery vouchers, social vouchers or social coupons.

Sources

See all our official sources on the data sources page.

Conclusion

At the state nursery in Cluj you pay only a food contribution per attendance day (15 lei/day from 2025, to be checked live), not a share of income. The guaranteed exemption is for children at risk of separation from their family, via DASM. Confirm the exact amount with the nursery, and find every nursery in Cluj-Napoca on the interactive piticluj.ro map.