Shift care

Shift care refers to extended-hours early childhood education and care provided during evenings, nights, and weekends when standard daycare opening hours do not meet the family’s needs. This page provides information on the terms and practices of shift care, the daycare centres where shift care is offered, and how to book care hours.

When does my child need shift care?

According to Section 13 of the Early Childhood Education and Care Act (540/2018), the municipality must provide shift care for children whose need for care arises from the guardians’ work or full-time, degree-oriented studies during evenings, nights, or weekends. There is no subjective right to shift care. A child always has the right to early childhood education in accordance with the Act, but shift care is only organised for justified reasons.

A child may receive shift care if:

• The guardian, or both guardians living in the same household, work in shifts or study in degree-oriented evening education.
• The need for shift care is regular.

In which daycare centres is shift care organised?

Evening, weekend, and 24-hour shift care is organised at Kutala Daycare Centre.

The daycare centre is open according to care hour bookings, 24 hours a day, seven days a week if necessary, including public holidays. Children staying overnight at the shift care daycare centre must be brought to the centre by 20:00 at the latest. If the child is not staying overnight, they must be picked up by 22:30 at the latest.

Iittala Daycare Centre and Lammi Daycare Centre provide shift care on weekdays between 05:30 and 22:30 as required.

The child’s days off

A child must have at least eight days off per month (an average of two days off per week). If the child is in care during the weekend, they must have compensatory days off during the week. This ensures that the child’s right to early childhood education as well as their right to rest and leisure is fulfilled.

A child can be in shift care:

• During the guardians’ working or study hours
• During the guardian’s sleeping time after a night shift.

There is no right to shift care during evenings, nights, or weekends:

• On the guardians’ days off
• On the guardians’ holidays
• During the guardians’ sick leave.

In the situations listed above, the child may still participate in early childhood education by separate agreement from Monday to Friday during daytime hours.

If there are several children in the family in shift care and one of the children is ill, a healthy child may participate in shift care if the guardian requires care for the healthy child due to their work. This could be a situation where another carer has been arranged for the sick child at home, or the sick sibling is old enough to be home independently. If the guardian is at home with the sick child, the healthy child can only participate in daytime early childhood education on weekdays.

Termination or change in the need for shift care

The need for shift care is assessed regularly in cooperation with the guardians. As a rule, the need for shift care is considered to have ended if:

• The child has required shift care (evenings, nights, or weekends) on average fewer than 5 times per month
• During the previous three months (a total of fewer than 15 shift care days in a three-month period).

Each child’s situation is assessed individually. Decisions are made in accordance with the Early Childhood Education and Care Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, taking into account the best interests of the child and in cooperation with the guardians.

Pre-primary education in shift care

When coordinating pre-primary education and shift care, care is taken to ensure that the child’s day does not become too long or taxing. Arrangements are agreed upon with the guardians so that the child’s care, pre-primary education, and rest form a balanced whole.

Temporary shift care

If your child is in a daycare centre that does not provide shift care, but you temporarily or occasionally need evening or 24-hour care, temporary shift care can be arranged for your child at Kutala Daycare Centre.

Temporary shift care is always based on a genuine need related to work or studies. If you need occasional shift care for your child, please contact the director of your child’s daycare centre. The director of the shift care daycare centre is responsible for the arrangements, care hours, and necessary documentation.

Further information on shift care, applications, client fees, and the appeal process is available from the early childhood education service guidance and the daycare centre director.