Daycare centers have returned to normal opening hours

The operating year 2026–2027 of early childhood education in Jyväskylä has started on Monday 3.8.2026 and daycare centers have returned to normal opening hours. The year 2026-2027 will bring changes to the service network and the opening hours of daycare centers.

A new feature in pre-primary education is the reform of the Act on Early Compulsory Education, which entered into force on 1 August 2026. Children who are assessed as needing more time to achieve the objectives set for pre-primary and basic education due to a disability, illness, or a limitation of functional capacity that affects their ability to learn and overall development have the right to early compulsory education. With a decision on early compulsory education, the child has the right to receive pre-primary education in the year in which he or she turns five.

Also new is the change to the Basic Education Act. The promotion of children's active lifestyle is part of the everyday activities of pre-primary education.

In Jyväskylä, there are 4823 children of early childhood education age. Of these, 3,849 attend municipal early childhood education services, including daycare centers and family daycare, while 970 are enrolled in private early childhood education. There are 1220 children of pre-primary education age in Jyväskylä.

New Kivistö daycare center, Tammirinne daycare center moves to Halssila daycare center

Most of the children enrolled at Kivistö Daycare Centre were transferred from the Aittorinne and Halssila daycare centers. The children previously attending Tammirinne Daycare Centre were transferred to Halssila Daycare Centre.

Pre-primary education in the Halssila area has been centralised at the Lokintie and Ilvespuisto pre-primary education units, Halssila Daycare Centre, and Jyskä School.

Pre-primary education in Aapistie will ease the early childhood education arrangements in Keljonkangas and Kauramäki

On 12 august 2026 a new pre-primary education unit, Aapistie, will open in Keljonkangas, bringing together the children of the area's municipal pre-primary education. The building has been relocated to the yard of the Aapistie school from Palokunnanmäki daycare centre, where it previously served as the Palokunnanmäki daycare centre.  The new Aapistie pre-primary education will provide much-needed additional capacity for early childhood education and pre-primary education arrangements in the Keljonkangas and Kauramäki areas between 12.8.2026-31.7.2028. The new Kauramäki daycare school will be completed in 2028.

Jokela daycare center's autumn starts in temporary premises

The former Jokela daycare center building has been demolished and the building that served as the temporary Lohikoski daycare center will be relocated to the site.  The early childhood education groups of Jokela Daycare Centre are currently operating in temporary premises at Rovastinpolku 6. The new Jokela daycare center will be opened in October 2026.

The new Cygnaeus daycare center will open in January 2027

The Cygnaeus daycare center will open on 7 January 2027 at Vellamonkatu 1 B. The daycare center will have groups for early childhood education and pre-primary education for approximately 220 children. Children will be transferred to the new early childhood education groups from Voionmaa Daycare Centre and the Tapiola and Mäki-Matti daycare centers. The temporary Voionmaa Daycare Centre and Mäki-Matti Daycare Centre will then be taken out of use.

The City of Jyväskylä's round-the-clock early childhood education (24/7) will be moved from the Tapiola daycare center to the Cygnaeus daycare center. After 7.1.2027, Tapiola daycare center will be open on weekdays from 6.30-17.00.