Organisation of early childhood education and care

Staff working at daycare centres (early education centres) includes teachers, social pedagogues, childcarers and special educational needs teachers in early childhood education and care, and heads of early education centres. Other staff may also work at daycare centres whose job titles or qualifications are not subject to provisions laid down in law. For example, they include assistants and kitchen staff.  

Provisions on qualifications for early childhood education and care are provided in the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care. 

The staff of a daycare centre must include at least one employee meeting the qualification requirements for every seven children over the age of three if the children attend early childhood education and care for more than five hours a day. Qualified employees include teachers, social pedagogues and childcarers in early childhood education and care. The daycare centre must have at least one person with the above-mentioned professional qualifications carrying out the upbringing, education and care tasks for up to four children under the age of three.  

The daycare centre must have at least one employee meeting the above-mentioned professional qualifications for every 13 children over the age of three if the children attend early childhood education and care for a maximum of five hours a day.  

In a daycare centre, the number of children corresponding to a maximum of three persons carrying out the upbringing, education and care tasks in early childhood education and care may be present in one group at the same time. For example, if all the children are under the age of three, 12 may be present at the same time. 

When the child attends a daycare centre or family-based childcare, an individual early childhood education and care plan must be drawn up for the child. The ways of implementing the child’s upbringing, education and care are recorded in the plan.  

Objectives for how the child’s early childhood education and care will support the child’s development, learning and wellbeing must be recorded in the child's individual plan. The measures taken to implement these objectives are recorded in the plan. In addition, the child’s possible need for support and the support measures are recorded in the plan.  

The staff draw up the child's individual plan together with the child’s parent or other guardian. The persons responsible for the child’s education, upbringing and care participate in drawing it up. In daycare centres, the early childhood education and care teacher is responsible for the preparation of the plan. The child’s opinion must be determined and taken into account when the plan is drawn up.  

The implementation and appropriateness of the child's individual early childhood education and care plan must be evaluated and the plan must be reviewed at least once a year. If the child’s needs require it, the review must be carried out more frequently.

Provisions on the right to support provided in early childhood education and care are laid down in the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care.  

A child attending early childhood education and care is entitled to receive the general educational support required for their individual development, learning and wellbeing as part of the basic activities in early childhood education and care without delay when the need for support has emerged. The child’s interests are the priority when early childhood education and care is planned, organised and delivered or decisions concerning it are made.  

The support provided to the child may include pedagogical, structural and care measures needed by the child. The child’s need for support, the adequacy of the support and its implementation must be assessed as necessary, but at least once a year or when the need for support changes. The child’s need for support, the support measures and their implementation as well as an assessment of the effectiveness of the support are recorded in the child’s individual early childhood education and care plan.  
An administrative decision on enhanced and intensive educational support must be made without delay. The forms of support, the place where early childhood education and care is organised and the support services must be stated in the decision. The decision is made by the local authority responsible for organising early childhood education and care. If early childhood education and care is organised by a private service provider, the local authority in whose area the unit is located makes the decision on the basis of the service provider's proposal.  

The organisers and providers of early childhood education and care must assess the quality of the early childhood education and care they provide and participate in external evaluation of their activities.  

The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) organises national external evaluations of early childhood education and care. FINEEC also supports organisers of early childhood education and care and private actors in statutory self-assessment.  

The local authority must ensure that the child receives early childhood education and care in their mother tongue in Finnish, Swedish, Inari Sámi, Skolt Sámi or Northern Sámi. If the municipality or joint municipal authority is bilingual, early childhood education and care is organised in both languages. 

The learning environments of daycare centres, family-based childcare and open activities in early childhood education and care must be development-oriented, promote learning, and be healthy and safe. The child's age, development and other requirements must be taken into account in the services. A safety plan and a fire and rescue plan are drawn up in early childhood education and care.  

Children in daycare centres or in family-based childcare must be offered healthy and necessary nutrition that meets the nutrition recommendations. Meals must be arranged for all children present and guidance must be provided during the meal. More information is available in the publication Terveyttä ja iloa ruoasta - varhaiskasvatuksen ruokailusuositus, which is a recommendation for meals in early childhood education and care. You will find a link (in Finnish) to the publication at the end of this page.

If a teacher, social pedagogue, childcarer or special educational needs teacher in early childhood education and care or a family-based childcare practitioner in their work observes a shortcoming or a threat of it, which may prevent the implementation of the child’s early childhood education and care in accordance with the law, they must notify the matter immediately. The matter must be notified in writing to the head of the early education centre or the head of family-based childcare.  

Worldview education is part of general education in the pedagogical activities of early childhood education and care. The aim of worldview education is to promote mutual respect and understanding of different worldviews and support the development of children’s identity based on culture and worldview. Different traditions, identities, beliefs and values are identified and recognised in worldview-aware early childhood education and care and pre-primary education. Children also learn to discuss them together.  

Provisions on client fees in early childhood education and care provided by municipalities in daycare centres or family-based childcare are laid down in the Act on Client Charges in Healthcare and Social Welfare. The fee amount depends on the family’s size, income and whether the child attends early childhood education and care full-time or part-time.