FACTFILE: Municipal day care predominates in Finland
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Finland had a total of 399,889 children under the age of seven in day care in 2003.
Of this group, 51.2% were in day care - either a day care centre, or in municipal family day care.
Of the children in day care, 93% benefit from the municipal system, while seven percent are cared for privately, through arrangements that are subsidised by the Social Insurance Institution (KELA).
There are regional differences. In East Uusimaa, 58.7% of children attended day care in their pre-school years. In the Kainuu region only 38.7% did.
In the whole country, 1.3% of children under the age of one were in day care, while 24.9% of two-year-olds, and 68% of five-year-olds were in day care
Children in Sweden tend to go to day care at an earlier age, and more frequently, than Finnish children do. On the other hand, Swedish working mothers generally work fewer hours than Finnish mothers, and consequently, children in Finland spend more time in day care than those in Sweden do.
International comparisons are not easy to make, because of the very different ways in which day care is organised in different countries.
Children in Finland have the right to attend free pre-school before the age of seven. Nearly all six-year-olds - 96%, attend pre-school.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 16.4.2005
More on this subject:
 Half of Finnish pre-school children go to day care
No alarm clocks needed!
Helsingin Sanomat
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