Early childhood education in Varkaus

There are 5 municipal day care centres in Varkaus, with groups for children under 3, 3-5, 1-5 and pre-school age, as well as small groups for children with special needs.

The day care centres offer early childhood education according to the parents' choice between 6.30 and 17.00. Day care is provided for children who need day care due to their parents' work or studies.

There are family day care providers working in their own homes in Varkaus. Day care directors supervise and direct family day care in their area. The family day care centres are located in different parts of the city. As a rule, children who need full-day care are referred to family day care.

Family Day Care Childcare Agreement

Early childhood education is based on the national early childhood education plan and the local early childhood education plan. An individual early childhood education plan is drawn up for each child in cooperation with the child's carers.

Early childhood education plan

Early childhood education is based on billing per child, except for temporary care.

• Kankunharju Early Childhood Education Unit
• Könönpelto Early Childhood Education Unit
• Päiviönsaari Early Childhood Education Unit
• Repokangas Early Childhood Education Unit
• Taulumäki Early Childhood Education Unit
• Family day care

You can apply for childcare all year round. The period for arranging a childcare place is 4 months, or 2 weeks if the need arises urgently because of work or studies. The day-care centre managers are responsible for arranging the childcare place and provide service guidance on day-care issues.

As a rule, children who need full-time care, i.e. 35 hours or more per week, are admitted to both municipal and private family day-care.

As a rule, the application is submitted electronically.

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You can also print out the application form yourself. The printable application can be found on the Forms and Instructions for Early Childhood Education and Care page. Application forms are also available from early childhood education and care centres. Paper application forms should be returned to the day nursery or to the town hall. Early childhood education and care is charged on the basis of childcare hours.

You can also apply for an early childhood education place with a paper application from the link above

For private day care centres, you can apply with your own application form. To apply for a private family day care, contact the private family day care provider directly.

To find out about places and the status of your child's early childhood education application, please contact the day care centre's director.

There are three private day-care centres and private family day-care providers in the city of Varkaus, whose activities are supervised by the city. The same principles are applied as in municipal early childhood education. Private early childhood education is provided on a fee-for-service basis.

Applications for the private early childhood education service are made by the private day-care centres themselves. Applications for private family day care are made by contacting the private family day care provider directly.

• Touhula Aarrearkku
• Touhula Taikapolku
• Pilke Nappula
• Private family day care providers in Varkaus

The aim of early years special education is the early identification, prevention and rehabilitation of potential learning difficulties. This supports the balanced growth, development and learning of the child.

Development and learning support is provided in all day-care centres, family day-care and pre-school groups in the city of Varkaus, as well as in private early childhood education. A child may need support in different areas of development, such as language development, concentration, motor and social development and behaviour. In pre-primary and early childhood education, children are covered by the three-tier system. They can receive general, enhanced or special support for their growth and learning.

The special pre-school group at the Repokangas school is run by a special teacher in early childhood education. The other early childhood education units are staffed by two special early childhood education teachers. They work as co-teachers in groups, supervise small groups and, if necessary, work individually with the child in the kindergarten groups. The early childhood special education teacher's work also includes consulting early childhood education staff and working with parents and other stakeholders.

Early childhood special education is coordinated by Tiina Siivola, Director of Päiviönsaari Day Care Centre, tel. 040 752 4920

Early childhood special education teachers:

Nina Poutiainen tel. 040 532 1320 (Taulumäen day care centre, Touhula Aarrearkku and Touhula Taikapolku)

Merja Keränen p. 040 484 0984 (Könönpelto and Repokangas day care centres)

Katja Ruuskanen p. 041 732 3799 (Päiviönsaari day care centre, municipal and private family day care)

Ulla Sopanen p. 041 732 3907 (Kankunharjun day care centre, Pilke Nappula)

Arja Vainonen p. 040 531 9329 (Repokangas school pre-school)

Fee structure

The maximum monthly fee for full-day care for the youngest child in a family is EUR 311. The fee for the second child is 40% of the full-day fee for the youngest child, up to a maximum of €124, and for the other children 20% of the full-day fee for the youngest child, up to a maximum of €62. The lowest fee is €30.

Family size

Under the Childcare Fee Act, the family size is taken into account for married or unmarried persons living in a joint household and their minor children. Entitlement to an early childhood education place starts at the beginning of the calendar month in which the child reaches the age of nine months and ends at the beginning of compulsory education.

Family income

Family income includes taxable earned income, capital income and tax-exempt income. Either 4% or 5% holiday pay is added to the earned income.

Income does not include child care allowance (but flexible and partial care allowance is taken into account) and child benefit, disability allowance under the Disability Benefits Act (570/2007) for persons under 16, disability allowance for persons aged 16 and over, pensioner care allowance and dietary allowance, child supplement under the National Pensions Act (568/2007), housing allowance, medical care and examination expenses under accident insurance, military allowance, front-line allowance, study allowance under the Study Allowance Act (65/1994), adult education allowance, income support, maintenance allowance for labour market support or education support, study grants and other similar allowances, and reimbursement of family care costs. The deduction of income takes into account maintenance payments made for children outside the family and other similar costs arising from the actual family relationship, as well as prosecution costs.

The City of Varkaus Early Childhood Education and Care receives salary, pension and benefit data from the Income Register 1.1.2021.

The consent of the guardians must always be obtained to check the income from the Register of Income.

The income of self-employed persons is not reported to the Register of Income, so customers must report their business income themselves. Capital income (e.g. rental income, interest income, dividend income), forest income, union subsistence allowance and maintenance payments agreed between guardians must also still be declared by the client.

Wage income information does not come automatically from the Income Register, but must always be checked by the Welfare and Education Division.

Families are obliged to report any changes in income or family size, including returning to work after unemployment, becoming unemployed, taking maternity or parental leave or home care leave, starting or leaving education. These changes are not reported to the Welfare and Education Division, so the responsibility for reporting changes in income and family size remains with the families.

If a child's guardians live at different addresses but the child is provided with early childhood education in only one municipality, the fee is based on the income of the family with which the child has his/her place of residence in accordance with the Act on the Population Information System and the Certification Services of the Population Register Centre (661/2009).

If the report is not submitted by the end of the first month of care or is incomplete, the highest fee is charged. The difference between the highest fee and the fee based on the performance report is non-refundable.

The month of July is free of charge

The month of July in 2025 is free of charge if the child has been continuously in care since August 2024

Absences

If a child is absent from early childhood education and care due to illness for more than ten activity days per month, half of the monthly fee is charged. If the absence due to illness lasts 10 days or less, the full monthly fee is charged.

If a child is absent for the whole calendar month due to illness, no fee is charged. If the child is absent for all the days of the month for reasons other than illness, half the monthly fee is charged. In other cases, the full fee will be charged. This means that you may have to pay the full monthly fee for just one day of attendance.

Parental leave and paternity leave

Parental leave (if the child's calculated date of birth is on or after 4 September 2022 or if the date of care of the adopted child is on or after 31 July 2022)

According to the Early Childhood Education and Care Act, a child's right to early childhood education and care starts at the beginning of the month in which the child turns 9 months old. The right to the same early childhood education and care place is maintained even if the child is absent from early childhood education and care during the period in which parental allowance is paid under the Health Insurance Act for the care of the child, if the absence lasts for a continuous period of up to 13 weeks. The early childhood education and care customer fee is not charged during parental leave if the carers notify the child of the absence in good time as required by law. Parental leave can be taken in different periods until the child reaches the age of 2. The normal payment rules apply to older siblings.

Absence of more than 5 days must be notified to the day care centre or family day care centre at least 1 month before the planned start date. Similarly, repeated absences of 1-5 days must be notified one week before the planned start date of the first absence. There is no obligation to report a one-off absence of up to 5 days. The care relationship with the child must continue immediately after the parental leave.

Parental leave (if the child's calculated date of birth is before 4 September 2022 or if the date of care of the adopted child is before 31 July 2022, the old family leave legislation applies)

No childcare fees are charged for parental leave if the carers report the absences in the time prescribed by law. Parental leave may be taken in different periods until the child reaches the age of 2 years. The normal payment rules apply to older siblings.

Absences due to periods of leave must be reported to the early childhood education and care unit at least two weeks before the planned start date

Early Childhood Education Absence Notification Form

Change of due date for early childhood education and care invoice, enquiries about payments made and collections: Wakaus Central Savo Account Services Ltd, talous@wakaus.fi

Tax rates and income limits from 1.8.2024.

5 245

If the family size exceeds six, the income limit is increased by €275 for each subsequent minor child in the family.

For a family of 4 children (both parents and two children under school age), the fees for early childhood education are calculated as follows:

Gross family income per month €6237€-5956€ (income limit according to the table) = €281 of which 10.7% is €30.00/month.

The amount of the contribution is rounded to the nearest euro.

The amount of the contribution is rounded to the nearest euro.