The right to early childhood education

The Act on Early Childhood Education and Care (540/2018) lays down provisions on the right of a child to early childhood education as well as the aims of early childhood education. The child’s parents or other guardians decide on the child’s participation in early childhood education. However, preschool education that precedes compulsory education is mandatory.

With the amendment of the Act on Early Childhood Education coming into force on 1 August 2020, all children again have the right to early childhood education on equal grounds.

This means that a child, whose parent is unemployed or laid off, has the right to full-time early childhood education. The amount of support for private childcare is also no longer affected by the family’s situation.

A daycare or family daycare place is applied for from one’s own municipality no later than four months before participating at a facility. You can get a place in two weeks if the parents unexpectedly get a job or a study place.