Day care in Finland

The official name for day care in Finland is early childhood education and care (ECEC). ECEC is part of the Finnish education system, and together with pre-primary education and basic education forms a whole that progresses consistently in terms of the child’s growth, development and learning, laying a foundation for lifelong learning. All children under school age are entitled to ECEC even if one or both parents are at home. 

ECEC takes the form of day care centres, family day care and open early childhood activities such as clubs and play activities. Carers can choose the way they want their child to participate in ECEC. Read more on the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education.

If you are interested in pre-primary education, read more on the page Pre-primary education in Finland.

Municipalities provide day care in day care centres, family day care or open early childhood education and care for children aged 0–6-years. You have to apply for a place in municipal day care four months before the care starts. Parents can get a place in two weeks if they get a job or start studying. Read more about early childhood education and care on the Suomi.fi service.

The fee charged for municipal day care depends on the family’s income, size and the number of hours per week the child spends in early childhood education and care. Read more about the criteria for calculating ECEC fees on the website of the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Private day care for children aged 0-6 can be provided in private day care centres, family day care or open early childhood education and care. To get a place in day care, apply directly to the day care centre concerned. 

You can also hire a caregiver in your own home. If you pay for a caregiver in your home, you become an employer, and you must fulfil an employer’s obligations. 

The prices for private day care vary. You can get private day care allowance for the fees from the Social Insurance Institution (Kela), meaning that private day care is not necessarily much more expensive than municipal day care. You can get private day care allowance if your child is looked after by an employed caregiver or a private day care centre, and if your child is over 9 months old but under school age.

You can get more information on private day care from the municipality where you live or are moving to. You can find more information on private day care allowance on Kela’s website.

You are entitled to child home care allowance if you have a child under 3 years old who does not have a place in municipal day care. Parents do not have to look after their child at home themselves - the caregiver can be another person, for example a grandparent or a paid caregiver. Read more about child home care allowance on Kela’s website.