A pilot project with public health nurses informing families at maternity and child health clinics about the benefits of early childhood education for children and the different forms it takes started in Helsinki in May. The aim is to support children who speak a foreign language in learning Finnish and to ensure that they are exposed to the national languages of Finland as early on as possible.
“Because families meet with professionals at the maternity and child health clinic, it is a good place to guide families to early childhood education services. Service coordination is provided to each family individually,” explains Emmi Hellsten, Head of Unit in the Education Division.
A maternity and child health clinic worker will assess a family’s situation and explain the various early childhood education options to them. In Helsinki, these include daycare centres, family daycare and open early childhood education at playgrounds or family houses. Following the discussion, a public health nurse will contact the service coordinator regarding enrolment at a daycare centre and the senior playground instructor regarding playground activities, after which the family will be contacted.
“Early childhood education is discussed during maternity and child health clinic visits as part of supporting the child’s development and learning, as well as the family’s wellbeing. The role of the maternity and child health clinic is to provide information on the various options available, so that families can make choices to suit their own needs," explains Head Nurse Anni Nevalainen from the Helsinki Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division.
Learning the language and the daily rhythm
The pilot project is currently underway at the Malminkartano Maternity and Child Health Clinic, which serves families with children living in Malminkartano and Kannelmäki. The guidance concerning early childhood education applies to all children aged two and over whose mother tongue is not Finnish or Swedish and who are not currently using early childhood education services.
“Our aim is to increase participation in early childhood education. The participation rate in these districts is lower than the average for Helsinki, and among children who speak a foreign language, it is lower than among Finnish- or Swedish-speaking children,” Hellsten says.
In early childhood education, children have the opportunity to get to know other local children, become part of a peer group and make friends. At the same time, children’s language skills in Finnish or Swedish are improved and they learn the friendship skills they will need in pre-primary education and school. From a learning perspective, early childhood education is indeed an important part of a child’s educational journey.
“According to research, participation in early childhood education is a predictor of a child’s future academic success. In early childhood education, children also learn the rhythm of daily life, and families get used to following a schedule,” Hellsten adds.
Sometimes families may be concerned that their child’s ability to speak their mother tongue might decline or be lost while they learn new things at daycare. However, early childhood education also supports the learning and development of a child’s own mother tongue.
Not everyone is familiar with how playgrounds work
Maternity and child health clinics will be provided with a leaflet that explains in simple terms what each form of early childhood education involves and how they differ from one another. For example, not everyone is familiar with open early childhood education at playgrounds; instead, playgrounds may be mistaken for daycare centres, which require a client relationship.
“The concept of open early childhood education may not even exist in other countries. We want to raise awareness of Helsinki’s playground activities. Many families may not know that anyone can come along with a young child to play and spend time there.”
Activities for families with young children – such as singing and nursery rhyme sessions organised at playgrounds – are open to everyone and free of charge. Some playgrounds also organise free club activities for children aged 2–4 who are cared for at home. These club activities need to be applied to.
In October, a multilingual event for parents and guardians will also be held in Kannelmäki to provide information on starting early childhood education at a daycare centre or playground.
Any decisions are up to the family
The ‘Neuvolasta varhaiskasvatukseen’ pilot project dealing with the path from maternity and child health clinics to early childhood education will continue in Malminkartano-Kannelmäki until the end of 2026. Following this, the pilot will be evaluated and the activities may be extended to other areas of Helsinki, as well.
“We welcome all families to early childhood education, and through this collaboration we aim to raise awareness of the benefits of early childhood education for children. Participating in early childhood education will help children to learn the language and make friends. The intention is not to suggest that non-Finnish speakers, in particular, should take part. Awareness of the many benefits of early childhood education has not necessarily reached everyone. Each family ultimately decides whether to attend early childhood education,” Hellsten emphasises.