Early childhood education and care (ECEC) and Pre-primary education for multilingual children

ECEC and pre-primary education are part of the Finnish education system.

Every child under school age has the right to early childhood education and care and pre-primary education.

ECEC is provided at a daycare centre, family daycare or a club.

Pre-primary education takes place one year before going to the first grade of basic education in daycare centre or in connection with primary school.

The staff is professionally trained.

Guardians and personnel agree together on the length of the child's day at ECEC .

Children in ECEC and pre-primary education are insured by the city in case of accidents.

The holidays in ECEC and pre-primary education (autumn, Christmas, winter and spring) coincide with the holidays in basic education.

Applications for early childhood education and care and pre-primary education are submitted electronically through the online services of early childhood education and care or with an application from a daycare centre. 

The child's growth, development, learning and well-being is supported together with the guardians.  

Guardians are met every day when taking the child to daycare and picking them up from daycare.

Mobile application Edlevo is used for example for reporting need for care, absences and reading bulletins.

In the ECEC plan discussion, guardians and personnel make an individual learning plan for the child.

If necessary, an interpreter or other partners are involved in the discussion.

If necessary, an early childhood education worker will order an interpreter.

Early childhood education services pay for interpretation.

Early childhood education and pre-primary personnel and cooperation partners are bound by professional secrecy.

Educational personnel has the duty to pass on important information that affects the organisation of the child’s education when they are moving to a new daycare centre or school.

If the well-being and safety of a child has been compromised, the law obliges the personnel to report it. 

Learning the heritage language is the responsibility of guardians.

Knowing your heritage language helps your child learn other languages.

When a child regularly participates in early childhood education or pre-primary education, they learn to understand and speak Finnish.

Children learn Finnish in the diverse activities of early childhood education and pre-primary education.

Children also learn Finnish while playing with friends.

A child participating in pre-primary education may receive instruction in their heritage language. The prerequisite is that the language teaching group in question exists and that the guardians take care of the transportation. The teaching group may meet in another residential area.

The child plays, eats, goes outdoors and rests every day.

Versatile and goal-oriented activities indoors and outdoors include, for example, play, exercise, music, excursions and handicrafts.

Children learn many things through play.

Even young children learn self-care and everyday skills, such as eating or dressing themselves.

The child's age and level of development are always taken into account, and an adult is nearby to help.

The child learns to work in a group and take other children into account.

In pre-primary education, letters and numbers are introduced, but reading skills are not taught or required. 

The day of early childhood education includes breakfast, lunch and snacks.

Meals are not paid separately.

The ECEC personnel encourage children to taste new foods.

The child is not forced to eat food, and you can always get more food.

The joint menu of daycare centres and schools can be found, for example, at daycare centres or on the Jyväskylä website. Menus: schools, desserts, kindergartens | Jyväskylä.fi (jyvaskyla.fi)

The menu is planned in advance according to children's nutritional recommendations.

Food restrictions related to health, religions and conviction are always taken into account.

The child must have a certificate from a doctor or public health nurse regarding a special diet or food allergy.

The certificate is not required for a diet based on religious reasons. In this case, a notification made by a parent on a special diet form is sufficient. 

Children go outdoors in early childhood education every day.

Children also go outdoors in rain or winter frost (outdoor temperature limit in the winter is about -15 degrees, depending on the age of the children).

The child must have weather-appropriate clothing and sufficient spare clothing.

Children go on excursions to the nearby park, forest, ski trail, sports field or library.

In the daycare yard, in the forest or on the sports field, children participate in a wide range of activities, such as exercise, mathematics or visual arts. Children also play in the forest. 

Guardians enroll the child in school in January of the pre-primary year.

Compulsory basic education begins in August of the year in which the child turns 7.

The child usually starts basic education at a school in his or her own neighborhood.