Service voucher in early childhood education and care

A family may be granted a service voucher for private early childhood education and care.

For more information:

Criteria for granting a service voucher:

• the early childhood education and care voucher is a discretionary benefit and there is no subjective right to it under the law. The customer has the right to refuse the voucher, in which case the municipality must provide early childhood education and care.
• the service voucher is child-specific and excludes home care support and private care support paid by Kela, as well as municipal early childhood education and care services
• changes in service needs are made for a period of three months, with the changes taking effect from the beginning of the following month
• the value of the service voucher is reviewed when the child turns 3, if the child’s need for services changes, if the family’s income changes significantly (+/-10%) or if the family size changes.
• the family must apply for the service voucher electronically before the start of early childhood education and care
• the service voucher is valid until further notice, unless a separate period has been agreed.
• the maximum value of the service voucher is linked to the education price index

Information for those wishing to become a voucher entrepreneur

Those wishing to become voucher entrepreneurs should contact the early childhood education and care director or service manager, the environmental health inspector and the fire authorities as early as the planning stage of the service. Good advance planning is the best way to ensure the long-term regional demand for services and good, functional facilities, which are important for the service provider.

The provider of private social services must notify the municipality in which the services are provided of the start of their activities. The notification is made via the Regional State Administrative Agencies’ e-service. The form is forwarded via the director of early childhood education and care to the education committee. The Board must ensure that the service activities subject to notification meet the conditions laid down in the Act on Private Social Services. The approved service provider is notified to the Regional State Administrative Agency, which takes the decision to enter the activity in the register.