Applying for early childhood education and pre-primary education

In Jyväskylä, applications for daycare, family daycare, early childhood education clubs, and pre-primary education are submitted online. Requests to change an early childhood education placement are also made through the online service.

Go to the Early Childhood and Pre-primary Education Online Services page

There is no specific application period for early childhood education — applications can be submitted year-round.

Apply for an early childhood education placement four months before the child needs care.

In urgent cases, such as starting a new job or beginning studies, submit the application two weeks before the need for care begins.

Applications for pre-primary education starting in August 2026 are accepted 16.1.-1.2.2026. More detailed information about the application process will be provided closer to the start of the application period.

Applying for early childhood education or pre-primary education

Applying for daycare or family daycare

Submit your application through the early childhood education online service.

To submit the first application, the family must have Finnish personal identity codes. If you do not have a Finnish identity code, you can print a paper application form. A separate application must be completed for each child.

You should apply for a place four (4) months before the desired start date.
In urgent cases, such as employment or starting studies, submit the application two (2) weeks before the need for care begins.
The Growth and Learning Customer Service will contact the applicant to agree on the details of the child’s early childhood education placement.

Accepting the Early Childhood Education Placement

You will be notified of the granted early childhood education placement by email or text message.
You can read the decision by logging in with strong authentication to the Edlevo App. Attachments to the decision can be found on the Early Childhood Education Decision Attachments webpage.

Income information for the family must be submitted through the online service no later than the end of the month in which early childhood education begins.

If you do not accept the granted placement, you must submit a new application through the online service.
The processing time for a new application is four (4) months.

Applying for early childhood education clubs

Applying for pre-primary education

Applications for pre-primary education are submitted via the Early Childhood Education Online Service 16.1.-1.2.2026.

Children born in 2020 will begin pre-primary education in August 2026.
If the child also needs early childhood education in addition to pre-primary education, the care placement should be applied for at the same time as the pre-primary education application.

You will receive information about the pre-primary education decision during the spring via email or text message.

It is also possible to apply for pre-primary education outside the official application period, for example, if the family moves to Jyväskylä or if a child’s residential area changes within Jyväskylä.

More information on pre-primary education in Jyväskylä

Applying for a private daycare, family daycare, or group family daycare

Contact the private provider directly to arrange a place, or complete the application through the early childhood education online service.
If you apply via the online service, the private provider will contact you to arrange the child’s early childhood education placement.
Once you receive confirmation that your child has been granted a place with a private provider, you can apply for a service voucher from the City of Jyväskylä to cover part of the provider’s customer fee.
The service voucher application is submitted through the online service, or you can print a paper application form if needed.
You may also apply for Kela’s private daycare allowance if your child is cared for at home by a nanny employed by the family.

Changing a child’s early childhood education placement

You can apply for a change of placement at any time throughout the year.
Transfer applications are centrally processed in April, and placements are offered for August.

The guardian submits the transfer application via the early childhood education online service.

A transfer to a new early childhood education placement will be arranged if there are available spots at the beginning of the new operating year in August.

Edlevo application for early childhood education

Early childhood education online services Asioi verkossa

Declaration of income at early childhood education

Tuloselvitys palvelusetelin arvon määrittelyyn (yksityinen)

Daycare centres in Jyväskylä

Jyväskylän yksityiset päiväkodit

Jyväskylän yksityiset perhepäivähoitajat

Jyväskylän kaupungin varhaiskasvatussuunnitelma

Päiväkotiruokailu

The network redevelopment of early childhood education and basic education

Day-care fees and service vouchers

Processing of personal data

The service manager acts as the person responsible for the personal data registers within the service area. Privacy notices are available at daycare centres and in service guidance. Customers have the right to review the information concerning themselves.

Varhaiskasvatuksen tietosuojaselosteet

According to the Early Childhood Education Act (540/2018), municipalities are obliged to record in the early childhood education data repository (Varda) information about children in early childhood education and their guardians, early childhood education providers and locations, as well as staff.

More information: early childhood education data repository Varda

Applying for early childhood education and pre-primary education

Applying for early childhood education or pre-primary education

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Processing of personal data