What is Private Family Day Care?

Private Family Day Care provides day care and early childhood education for small children in the child minder’s own home. Each child care group may include a maximum of four children, including the child minder’s own under school-aged children. In addition, the group may include one additional child taking part in pre-primary education in the afternoons. Each child minder is supervised by the day care supervisor or the director of a day care centre. The supervisor supports and supervises the care and education provided by the child minder. Private Family Day Care can be applied for directly from the Private Family Day Care provider (see Contact Details page). The fees are decided by the private day care provider, but usually more or less follow the national recommendations.

Family Day Care resembles care and education at home. Playing and domestic chores form a natural basis for learning new things. In addition, Family Day Care incudes hobby crafts, reading books, playing instruments, brief educational moments, trips and play and domestic chores in which the children can take part.

Even though Family Day Care is  provided at child minder’s own home, each Family Day Care Provider is following National Core Curriculum for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). It includes for example specific Early Learning Plan for each child and it is followed in all day care’s also in Family Day Cares.

Why choose Family Day Care?

Sanna Parrila from Oulu University undertook research about the strengths and weaknesses of family day care in Finland. The clear strengths of Family Day Care were the small groups of children, the continuous and lasting relationship with the child minder, close cooperation with parents, unique care and attention, care that is built upon the child’s unique needs and a peaceful and home-like environment.  The only essential weakness mentioned for Family Day Care was alternative care when the child minder cannot take the children at their home, for example during sick leave. The optimal alternative day care for a small child would be their own parent, grandparent or another adult who knows the child well. If that is not possible, you can always ask the child minder what kind of possibilities there are to arrange alternative day care. Options may include day care centres or another Private Day Care provider. In some parts of Espoo, child minders have what are called alternative day care circles, where they ask for free places from other familiar child minders in case occasional day care is needed.

More information about Family Day Care in Espoo.

How to claim Private Day Care Allowance

KELA and the City of Espoo support Private Family Day Care and families can claim  Private Day Care Allowance.

Information on KELA website:

Information

Online Application form

Allowances will be payed directly to the Private Family Day Care provider by KELA/Espoo, so families will pay only the remaining part of the payment to the child minder. Details regarding payments and the application process can be requested from the Day Care Provider.

Contact details of Private Family Day Care Providers can be found here.