Hiring a childminder for home

You can apply for a home care or private day care allowance from Kela.

When applying for private care support from Kela, first contact your municipality of residence. The municipality checks the carer’s eligibility and criminal record and submits the requisite documents to Kela. Kela pays the private day care allowance directly to the child carer.

The home care allowance is paid by Kela to the child's main carer, usually as a parent. You can use the support to pay the carer's salary.

A family can hire a child carer to work in their home and receive a home care or private day care allowance to cover some of the wage costs. Home care allowance is granted for caring for a child aged under 3 years, and private care allowance for a child who is under the school age. Several families can jointly act as the carer’s employer, with one of the adults being designated as the person responsible for the employer’s duties.

A carer employed at home does not provide early childhood education and care in accordance with the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care.