Early childhood education in Helsinki is offered in several formats, so you can choose the one that best fits your child and daily routine.
- Daycare is for children under school age. Daycare centres are open on Monday to Friday from 6.15 to 17.30, depending on the needs of families. This service is fee-based and offered in Finnish, Swedish and North Sami.
- Early childhood education with extended hours is for children under school age whose families work or study evenings, nights, or weekends. Extended hours are either 24-hour or from 6:15 to 22:00. This fee-based service is offered in Finnish; extended hours in Swedish are only until 22:00.
- Family daycare. In family daycare, children aged 2–5 spend the day at the caregiver’s home; childcare is arranged to match parents’ or guardians’ work, study, or other needs. This fee-based service is provided in Finnish.
- Group family daycare is a form of family daycare for children under school age where small groups spend the day in municipal facilities. Days last 8–9 hours (about 40 hours per week). This fee-based service is offered in Finnish or Swedish.
- Playground clubs are for children aged 2–5 and usually meet 2–3 times a week for about 2.5–3 hours per session. The clubs are free and operate in Finnish.
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Private early childhood education may be offered in a daycare centre or family daycare; the private provider sets care hours, fees and location. In Helsinki it is available in Finnish, Swedish, English, Spanish, German, French, Estonian and Russian.