Quality of day care services fluctuates in Finland

Proportion of under-three-year-old children in day care is higher than before

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In 2010, the proportion of children under the age of three, who were in full time day care outside home, was higher than before.
      Even the number of babies under the age of one year in full time care was higher than it was in 2009.
      According to the preliminary information released by the National Institute for Health and Welfare, about 82,000 children under the age of three were in municipal full-time day care last year, while the corresponding figure for 2009 was 80,000.
     
At the same time, demand for day care places has increased, while the one for family day care has declined. Moreover, the number of family child care providers is also declining.
      According to Mirjam Kalland, the secretary general of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL), the quality of day care services varies considerably in different day care facilities.
      MLL calls for a reform of the Act on Children’s Day Care in order that the standard of good quality could be secured.
     
Only a small proportion of children are taken care of with the help of the private day care allowance: In 2010, slightly over 8,400 children under the age of three were cared for outside the municipal day care system by means of the private day care allowance.
      Statistics show that the objectives to care for the youngest children in smaller units and to reduce the number of hours they spend in day care have not started to come true.
      Mirjam Kalland sees that there are not enough alternatives in the present day care system. She suggests that families would be offered a genuine possibility to choose the most suitable day care arrangement for their children.
      A personal day care assessment should be made for each child, Kalland says.
     
Even though Finnish families have a subjective right to day care, it would be recommended for municipalities to discuss with parents in order to find the most suitable day care alternative for each child from the child’s own perspective.
      Municipal employees should also have the courage to tell the truth to the parents, if they think that for example family day care would be better than a place at a day care centre for their child.
      Kalland thinks that when it comes to early childhood education, there should be alternatives allowing a combination of home care, part-time care, and club activities.
     
According to MLL, the maximum size of groups in child care should be prescribed by law, and each child should have a care-giver of his or her own.
      It should also be statutory for municipalities to take care of guidance, MLL says. In that way families could be offered open early childhood education services or part-time day care, if the child in question does not need a full-time day care place.
      Kalland is concerned about the long days small children have to spend in day care. If a child has to spend eight or even ten hours in the day care centre, various ways to make him or her feel better should be adopted. A child’s own blanket or family pictures could maybe lighten the strain, Kalland observes.
      Parents should also be encouraged to work fewer hours in order that their children’s days in day care would not be too long.
      A government advisory board has also been discussing the quality of day care, drawing up trends for Finnish early childhood education until 2020.
     
According to the survey, inferior day care can jeopardise a child’s development. Noise in a big group of children, long hours, high turnover of staff, and illnesses are bound to weaken children’s well-being.
      According to the advisory board, an economically equal possibility should be secured for the parents to keep their small children at home longer than today.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Day care places all taken up in Helsinki - city looking for more premises in many districts (22.5.2008)
  Government plans for higher day care and health care fees spark anger in Parliament (16.4.2008)
  Finnish children go to day care at an earlier age than before (22.10.2007)
  Mannerheim League for Child Welfare
  Half of Finnish pre-school children go to day care (19.4.2005)
  FACTFILE: Municipal day care predominates in Finland (19.4.2005)

Links:
  National Institute for Health and Welfare
  City of Helsinki Social Services Department: Child Day Care

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