Early childhood education at daycare centres

Apply for an early childhood education and care place at the latest four months before you wish to place your child in day care.

1. Consider whether your child needs:

• early childhood education or pre-primary education
• family daycare
• an early childhood education club or an open daycare centre?

2. Familiarise yourself with the locations of the daycare centres, clubs, and open daycare centres. You can contact the service coordination for early childhood education to ask about the location of family daycare providers.

3. Submit an application for early childhood education / pre-primary education.

The main channel for applying for a place in early childhood education or pre-primary education is the online service for early childhood education services (www.rovaniemi.fi/varhaiskasvatus). If it is not possible for you to send an application online, you can use this form: Application for early childhood education / pre-primary education. Send this form to: Varhaiskasvatuksen palveluohjaus, PL 1009, 96101 Rovaniemi

• You do not need to register in advance for the open daycare centre’s activities.
• If your child would like to join an early childhood education club, you should contact the service coordination for early childhood education.

Early childhood education and care may be given to a child who has not reached the age of compulsory education.

Early childhood education and care may also be given to a child who has already reached the age of compulsory education if special circumstances so require and care cannot be otherwise arranged.

One form of early childhood education and care is day-care centre activities, which are organised at day-care centres.

The objective of early childhood education and care is to support the child’s growth, development and learning and promote his or her well-being. An early childhood education plan is drawn up for each child in day-care centre.

Municipal day care may be either full time or part time care.