Childcare in Åland

In Åland, childcare is provided in the form of daycare centres, play centres and after-school activities. Childcare involves care, supervision and educational activities for children before they start school and in connection with the school day. Guardians can apply to their municipality for a childcare place at any time during the year, and there is also the option of choosing private childcare. 

The fee for childcare is set by each municipality and may not exceed €240 per child per month. The municipality may also decide to offer fee-free months or to make childcare completely free of charge. More information on childcare is available on the website of the Government of Åland.

In the municipalities of Åland, daycare services are provided in the form of daycare centres, family daycare centres or group family daycare centres. Daycare centres offer play opportunities and educational activities for children below school age.

Children are entitled to municipal daycare from the age of nine months until the start of compulsory education. However, if parental allowance is received, the child is not entitled to attend daycare. If the guardian works part-time and receives partial parental allowance, the child is entitled to attend.

The scope of daycare activities must be based on the best interests of the child. The municipality must also, where necessary, offer daycare services in the evenings, at night and on days other than weekdays for children who need it due to their guardians' work or studies.

Pre-school education

In the year before the child starts primary school, the child is entitled to at least 20 hours of childcare with free pre-school education per week. The purpose of pre-school education is to support the child's development and prepare the child for further learning and education. Read more about basic education in Åland on the Info Norden website.

Childcare includes leisure activities for schoolchildren. After-school activities are intended to reduce the amount of time children spend alone without adult supervision before and after school. The purpose of after-school activities is to offer meaningful leisure activities and supervision and care, primarily for younger schoolchildren in years 1 and 2 whose guardians are working, seeking employment or studying. After-school activities are run by the municipalities, which are entitled to charge a monthly fee. Applications for after-school care places are made to the municipality.

Read more about after-school activities on the website läroplan.ax.

The purpose of play activities is to offer children who have not yet started school and who do not attend daycare a place to play under the supervision of staff. Play activities usually comprise 10–15 hours per week and can be run by an association, municipality, church or private operator. It can be organised as a park or club activity and take place both indoors and outdoors.

Read more about play activities on the website läroplan.ax.

It is the municipality’s responsibility to provide childcare for children who are registered in the municipality, as well as for children who reside in the municipality because of their guardians’ work, study or similar reasons. This applies even if the child does not have a municipality of residence in Åland or if the child’s municipality of residence is a different municipality. 

Information on the right to childcare can be found in the Åland act on childcare and basic education on the website of the Government of Åland.

Child home care allowance is financial support for guardians whose children are not in municipal childcare, with the exception of play activities. A guardian can also get child home care allowance to pay someone else to care for the child. You can find more information on the Info Norden page Child home care allowance in Åland. 

On the Info Norden website you can find information on childcare in the other Nordic countries as well as contact information for the authorities that can answer questions.