Applying for early childhood education
Applying for municipal early childhood education
You can apply for an early childhood education place throughout the year, according to family needs. Applications must be submitted at least 4 months before the child requires an early childhood education place.
If the need for care is sudden due to employment or starting studies, an application must be made as soon as possible, but no later than 2 weeks before the child requires an early childhood education place. We may verify that the criteria for granting an urgent early childhood education place are met by requesting guardians to provide their employment contracts for inspection.
Early childhood education places are granted in accordance with the principles approved by the Education and Wellbeing Board.
You can submit an early childhood education application through Hämeenlinna’s early childhood education e-service (Suomi.fi service login required):
Applying to a service voucher daycare centre
If you would like an early childhood education place for your child at a private daycare centre with a service voucher, please first familiarise yourself with the private daycare centres and contact the daycare centre you are interested in. You will agree on the early childhood education place with the daycare centre, and the daycare centre will confirm whether a place is available for the child.
Once a place has been agreed on, submit a service voucher application to the municipality at least four months before early childhood education begins. The application must state the chosen private daycare centre and the information required to determine the value of the service voucher. In the additional information field of the application, please note that a place has been promised for the child at a private daycare centre.
The municipality processes the application and makes a service voucher decision for the chosen daycare centre. The family’s client fee will also be announced with the decision.
Once you have received the service voucher decision, you will enter into a service agreement with the private daycare centre. After this, the child can start early childhood education at the agreed time.
You can submit an early childhood education application through Hämeenlinna’s early childhood education e-service (Suomi.fi service login required):
Applying for open early childhood education
Contact a city-approved service provider and apply for a service voucher for open early childhood education for your child, following the instructions provided by them. The application for a service voucher for open early childhood education must be submitted at the latest during the month preceding the start date, and the decision will be made from the beginning of that month. A service voucher for open early childhood education will not be granted retrospectively.
Application processing time
Once we have received your application, you will receive a message from us via the Suomi.fi service regarding the processing schedule and any potential additional questions. Decisions are primarily made 1-2 months before the start date of the service.
When you receive a daycare place
You will receive the decision regarding your child’s care place approximately one month before the start of the care need. The place must be accepted within two weeks of the notification date of the decision, or the place will automatically be considered cancelled. The decision includes a link to accept or cancel the place.
If the start date of early childhood education is earlier than fourteen (14) days from the notification date, the notification must be submitted no later than the day preceding the start date of early childhood education.
If you do not accept the place granted to your child, you must submit a new application. The processing time for a new application is four (4) months.
Temporary early childhood education
Temporary early childhood education is occasional care where a child can attend for a maximum of five (5) days per month. During temporary early childhood education, the family does not lose their right to home care allowance.
You can enquire about temporary early childhood education from the daycare centre director.
There is no separate application for temporary care. For insurance, statistical, and billing purposes, the family’s contact details are recorded at the temporary care location and stored in the early childhood education client information system.
The fixed fee for temporary early childhood education is 19 € per early childhood education day.