Every child under school age in Finland has a legal right to municipal early childhood education and care (varhaiskasvatus) if their parents decide to use it. Apply at least four months in advance; in Helsinki this can be done before moving and without a personal identity code (two weeks applies only to a sudden job or study place). Fees are income-based and capped nationally; families who use private care or look after a child under 3 at home can claim Kela allowances instead.

The right to a place, and when a child can start

All children under school age have a subjective right to early childhood education and care if their parents so decide. This entitlement guarantees a place specifically in the municipality where the child is registered as a resident.

A child can start municipal early childhood education at the earliest at the beginning of the calendar month in which they turn nine months old. The subjective right does not bind you to the municipal system; instead, a family can choose between a municipal place, the child home care allowance, or the private day care allowance.

Applying — four months ahead, two weeks only for a sudden job or study place

You must apply at least four months before your child needs a place, even while you are still looking for work, study, or housing. When arranging finding a flat to rent in Finland, keep in mind that moving to a new municipality does not by itself qualify for the two-week processing time (Vantaa, for example, states the processing time is four months).

According to the City of Helsinki application guidance, families moving from abroad or another municipality are advised to apply before moving. In Helsinki, an application can be submitted at the earliest 12 months before the desired start date, and it remains valid for 12 months. The family's registered address must be in Helsinki by the start date specified in the placement decision, which ties closely into completing your first steps after moving to Finland.

A two-week fast-track process exists only if a guardian unexpectedly secures employment or a study place. In that situation, you must apply as soon as possible and at least two weeks before the place is needed, with a certificate attached. In Helsinki, the end of parental leave does not count as a sudden need. In Helsinki, an employment contract or study certificate alone is also not sufficient proof; a written employer statement or proof of a study place from a waiting list is needed.

How you apply depends on the city:

What it costs — income-based fees, the cap and sibling discounts

Municipal fees are governed nationally by the Act on Client Fees in Early Childhood Education and Care (1503/2016), which does not apply to private providers. Knowing where childcare costs fit into your cost of living in Finland requires reviewing your family income.

The fee depends on family size, gross income, and the child's booked hours. Child home care allowance, child benefit, housing allowance, and study grants do not count as income. If a family does not report its income, the municipality charges the highest fee.

From 1 August 2026, the fee system operates under the following rules:

Fees are index-adjusted every two years, with the next adjustment due on 1 August 2028. In Helsinki, fees are charged for at most eleven months per operating year (1 August to 31 July), making July free unless the placement began on 1 October or later.

Free hours — five-year-olds in Helsinki and Espoo, and the pre-primary year

Certain municipalities grant free hours to five-year-olds. In Helsinki, 5-year-olds born in 2021 receive four hours a day of free early childhood education from 1 August 2026 until pre-primary education begins. Espoo provides children with four hours a day (20 hours a week) of free care from August of the year they turn five, which covers children born in 2021 starting in autumn 2026.

Pre-primary education (esiopetus) takes place in the year before compulsory schooling begins. Pre-primary education is compulsory; guardians must ensure the child takes part in it or an equivalent activity. It consists of four hours a day on school days, free of charge, and includes a warm meal. Children born in 2020 attend during the 2026–2027 school year. Any additional early childhood education needed on top of those four daily hours is charged for.

Language — Finnish, Swedish, immersion and the English question

If you want an English-speaking municipal day care place, options vary considerably by area. According to the City of Helsinki language policies, municipal early childhood care is provided only in Finnish, Swedish, North Sami, and Finnish sign language. Other languages are operated privately; municipal education in other foreign languages only starts at pre-primary level at age six. Helsinki also runs Swedish-language immersion programmes for children who speak Finnish at home and have no prior Swedish; the best start is the year the child turns four, and families apply via a paper form.

Espoo offers advanced bilingual Finnish–English municipal care—where the foreign language comprises at least 25% of teaching—in two municipal day care centres. Some private day care centres in Espoo provide early childhood education primarily in another language, most often English.

Tampere operates a Swedish-language day-care centre as well as bilingual early education combining Finnish with English, German, or French.

For what comes after pre-primary, see our guide to the Finnish education system.

Private daycare, service vouchers and Kela's private day care allowance

If you choose a private provider or an independent childminder, you can claim support through Kela's private day care allowance. This is available for a child under school age from the beginning of the month the child turns nine months old.

The allowance consists of two elements:

Kela pays this allowance directly to the day care provider, and the family pays the remaining balance. You must apply once you have made the contract with the provider, and at the latest within six months of the start date. No private day care allowance is paid if the child has or has reserved a municipal place, or attends a private centre on a municipal service voucher. In Espoo, centres operating under the service voucher scheme charge the standard municipal fee or at most €50 a month more.

Staying at home instead — child home care allowance

A family looking after a child under three years old who does not attend municipal care can claim the child home care allowance (kotihoidon tuki). The carer does not have to be a parent; a grandparent or a hired nanny can provide the care. For child benefit and parental allowance, see our guide to Kela benefits in Finland.

The rates for the child home care allowance include:

Some municipalities pay a municipal supplement on top of these sums. The child home care allowance is taxable income. It can be paid retroactively for at most six months, and parents should apply before their parental allowance ends.