A CHILD IN DAY CARE HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICES
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN ROVANIEMI
Day care centres Day care centres provide high-quality, child-oriented early childhood education and pre-primary education by trained personnel in a safe environment. Day care can be part time or full time. Evening and shift care is provided as a centralised service. Early childhood education in the Sami language is available in one day care centre. The purpose of early childhood education is to promote balanced growth, development and learning of a child. To ensure balanced development, a child may need further assistance or special support at some point. The purpose of the early childhood education support activities is to promote the development, rehabilitation and learning of the child.
Pre-primary education Pre-primary education is systematic and target-oriented education for children of six years of age, provided by day care centres. The principles followed in pre-primary education include child-orientation and active learning. The children learn through play and activities. Pre-primary education is provided free of charge for four hours a day.
Family day care Family day care is provided in a small group in a homelike-environment, with the emphasis on basic care and play.
PRIVATE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICES WITH A SERVICE VOUCHER Rovaniemi has introduced the service voucher as a form of payment for day care services. The service voucher is granted for the arrangement of day care in a private day care centre or with a family day care provider. The family can choose a service provider approved by the municipality. Home care allowance or private day care allowance cannot be granted if the family has a valid service voucher.
For further information about early childhood education, please visit http://international. rovaniemi.fi/en/Services/Daycare-Service-
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICE GUIDANCE Hallituskatu 7, ground floor +358 16 322 6600, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. varhaiskasvatus.palveluohjaus@rovaniemi.fi
AT HOME WITH A CHILD
can be involved in one group established by the city. Children can bring a simple packed lunch with them to the group meetings.
OPEN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
CHILD HOME CARE ALLOWANCE
Rovaniemi offers parents who take care of their children at home open early childhood education services in the form of open day care and group activities. These are supervised by kindergarten teachers and childminders. Families can participate in the activities free of charge.
Home care allowance is paid to a parent who stays at home to look after a child/children after the parental allowance period is over or when the child is under 3 years of age. The allowance is also granted for siblings who are not in preschool or school. A requisite for receiving this benefit is that the children are not in day care and that the city does not pay private day care allowance for them. The allowance is paid through Kela.
Open day care The open day care activities are aimed at children under school age and parents who look after them at home. Open day care provides children with opportunities to play and practise their social skills with other children and adults, while parents can discuss upbringing, parenthood and the everyday life of a family with children with members of other families as well as professionals in the field. The activities are based on a principle of togetherness, with each parent taking care of his/her own child/children.
Open early childhood education groups for children over 3 years of age The group activities take place under supervision, and they provide allround support and goals for children’s growth and development. A child
The children are allowed to use open early childhood education services.
PRIVATE DAY CARE ALLOWANCE AND MUNICIPAL SUPPLEMENT Private day care allowance is intended for families that wish to hire a childminder to look after their children at home. The allowance is paid through Kela. For further information, please visit www.kela.fi/web/en and http://international.rovaniemi.fi/en/Services/Daycare-Service-.