Childcare
Children
are a top priority in Finland. The goal of Finnish family policy is to
provide adequate childcare services to all children and promote
equality. In fact, Finland is only one of three countries in the
European Union that has determined childcare to be a universal social
right.
Children start school at age 7, however Finland's quality early childhood education assures learning takes place before formal schooling starts. A legislation passed in 1996 guarantees all preschool students the right to equal, high quality education, regardless of income. Fees for childcare relate to the family size and income and lower income families do not pay for childcare services. Child allowances are granted until the child is seventeen years.
Children start school at age 7, however Finland's quality early childhood education assures learning takes place before formal schooling starts. A legislation passed in 1996 guarantees all preschool students the right to equal, high quality education, regardless of income. Fees for childcare relate to the family size and income and lower income families do not pay for childcare services. Child allowances are granted until the child is seventeen years.
Image courtesy of David Jones
Early Childcare and Education
There are three options for early childcare:
Child may enroll in municipal day care at the expense of the government.
Child may be placed in a private day care which the parents pay for by an allowance from the government.
Parent can care for child at home until the age of three, receiving a childcare allowance to supplement income.
Image courtesy of Esko Kurvinen
Private
day care is as common as municipal
day cares, which account for 90% of all day care centers. About 85% of
Finnish children are in some form of full time early childhood
education and about 46% use the public municipal day care option.
0-6 year old children in municipal day care (2000)
| Age | <1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Total |
| # of Children in day care | 784 | 14,733 | 22,386 | 33,112 | 38,005 | 42,208 | 41,625 | 192,853 |
| % of age group | 1.4 | 25.6 | 39.3 | 55.8 | 62.5 | 66.8 | 63.8 | 45.9 |
Child
minders in both private and municipal childcare facilities are educated
and well qualified. Teaching is a prestigious and competitive
profession
in Finland, and only 1 in 10 applicants receive teaching jobs.
Furthermore, a Masters degree is required, ensuring that young
children are being taught from only the very brightest.
References:
- "Ministry of Social Affairs and Health". 2007. Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Retrieved 02/15/2009, 2009. (http://www.stm.fi/Resource.phx/eng/subjt/famil/index.htx).
- Gornick, Janet C. and Marcia K. Meyers. 2003. Families That Work: Policies for Reconciling Parenthood and Employment. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
- Pearson, Mark, Willem Adema and Anais Loizillon. 2005. Babies and Bosses: Reconciling Work and Family Life: v. 4, Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
