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Applying for early childhood education and pre-school

In Lahti, early childhood education is offered in day care centres, family day care and open early childhood education according to the needs of families. Pre-school education is provided by day care centres and schools. Special early childhood education is provided for children with special needs.

Forms of early childhood education

  • The day care centres of the City of Lahti offer part-time and full-time early childhood education, pre-school education and shift and evening care for children under school age. An alternative to municipal early childhood education is private early childhood education.
  • Family day care is early childhood education carried out in the home of a family day care provider. The family day care group consists of four children under pre-school age.
  • There is also an open kindergarten, Poppoo, in Lahti, which has two locations: Loviisanpässi, Loviisankatu 16 and Perhepuisto, Kaarikatu 26. Guardians can visit Poppoo with their child from Monday to Friday between 9 am and 3 pm, and no registration is required. Participation in the activities is free of charge and is organized during school’s operating time.

Application and timelines

The application period for early childhood education places becoming available in August is in January and the applications are primarily submitted electronically. Families will be notified of the August early childhood education place by mid-May. If a family applies for both pre-school and supplementary early childhood education, the family will receive the information by mid-April.

A place in early childhood education can be applied for all year round according to the children’s need for care, but no later than four months before the need for care. If the need for care arises unpredictably due to receiving employment, training or a study place, a place in early childhood education must be applied for immediately, but no later than two weeks before the need for care.

Apply for a preschool place and early childhood education that complements preschool education
Apply for an early childhood education place or service voucher

How to apply

  1. Learn about the different forms of early childhood education (in Finnish): day care centres, family day care, private early childhood education,  open early childhood education 
  2. Learn about early childhood education customer fees 
  3. Apply for early childhood education at least four months before the need for early childhood education. 
  4. Read through the decision after receiving it. If you wish, you can arrange a visit directly with the place of early childhood education. 
  5. Accept the place in early childhood education on the early childhood education e-services. 
  6. If you do not accept the offered place, cancel it electronically or in writing, preferably by email, to the head of the day care centre or the family day care provider. Prepare for a new four-month application period the next time you apply. 
  7. In the event of a change in the need for early childhood education, fill in the form ‘Huoltajan ilmoitus varhaiskasvatuksen palvelutarpeen muutoksesta’ (Guardian’s notification of change in the need for early childhood education) and return it to your place of early childhood education. 
  8. Termination of a place in early childhood education is made in writing in advance to the place of early childhood education using a termination form. 

Every child has the right to participate, play, learn and realize

In Lahti, we develop early childhood education and care (ECEC) by giving our children a voice. To support the development work, we have drawn up a development plan for ECEC. The plan takes into account the new legislation on ECEC, the curriculum for ECEC, as well as other documents that guide early childhood education and care. In accordance with the development plan, we organize education to support the development of the competence of ECEC staff.

For us, developing pedagogy means developing the working methods and the learning/play environments of ECEC to promote children’s well-being and growth. Early childhood education and care enables everyone to learn and play together. Every child has the right to participate, play, learn and realize.

Lahti is committed to early childhood education and care – YouTube

Contact information

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