Opinions in Helsinki split over right to day care

Younger residents want to keep entitlement

Raimo Sailas

Sinikka Mönkäre

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A fresh poll indicates that 48% of Helsinki residents feel that families should have the right to place their pre-school children into municipal day care even if one of the parents is at home.
      Nearly as many, 44%, feel that public day care should not be an automatic entitlement in such a situation.
      The poll, commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat and carried out by Suomen Gallup, involved interviews with 1,100 Helsinki residents in late August.
     
Under current legislation, municipal authorities are obliged to provide day care services for children under school age.
      This entitlement was criticised by top Finance Ministry official Raimo Sailas recently, sparking intense public debate.
      The poll taken in Helsinki shows that 70% of supporters of the Swedish People’s Party are in favour of the subjective right to day care. More than half of supporters of the Green League and the Left Alliance are also in favour of the entitlement.
      Narrow majorities - 51% - of supporters of both the Social Democrats and the National Coalition Party would be willing to scrap the automatic entitlement to municipal day care services, while a full 61% of supporters of the Centre Party feel the same way.
      While there were no significant differences between the genders, the age of the respondents had a clear correlation with opinions on the issue.
     
The most eager to maintain the right to municipal day care for all families are respondents under the age of 24, where 65% are in favour of the entitlement.
      The older the respondent, the more likely that he or she would be willing to drop the absolute right to preschool day care.
      There was also some correlation with the education level of the respondents: the higher the level of education, the more positive the attitudes toward the right to municipal day care.
     
The Minister for Social Affairs and Health Sinikka Mönkäre (SDP) joined the debate last week.
      "For most parents, the use of common sense is self-evident. If the demands of some families exceed the bounds of reason, someone should be willing to speak plainly", Mönkäre said.
      "Children can be offered club activities, part time care, and various alternatives to full-time care, depending on the situation of the family." 


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Thousands of children in day care while parent stays at home (30.8.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat