Frequently asked questions – Private early childhood education and care

• When you apply for a place in a private daycare centre or private family daycare for your child, first agree on the place with the private service provider and then fill in the service voucher application one month before the desired start date. The service voucher application is filled in the online services for early childhood education and care.

• The service voucher makes it possible for the family’s deductible to be the same as in municipal early childhood education and care. Some private daycare centres also have additional fees. The additional fees can be seen on the website of the City of Kuopio at the bottom of the page of the private early childhood education and care section, where the information of daycare centres and family daycare providers is available as a pdf file. These contain information on, for example, separate additional fees. The website of the City of Kuopio contains comprehensive information on private early childhood education and care.

• You can fill in the service voucher application in the online services for early childhood education and care.

• Service voucher decisions are always made during the month when the early childhood education and care begins. The decision will be sent to you either electronically to our online services or by post, if you have not chosen the electronic method of service: Online services for early childhood education and care.

For customers of private early childhood education and care, a deductible equal to the fee in municipal early childhood education and care is determined based on income, family size and the child’s need for services. When concluding the Service Agreement, the service provider must inform you if the fees differ from those of municipal early childhood education and care (e.g. additional fees, fees charged for absences of the child, period of notice). A private service provider will invoice the family for the deductible.

• Yes. The service voucher must be applied for a new daycare centre in the online services for the early childhood education and care, if the private daycare centre changes.

• The website of the City of Kuopio contains comprehensive information on private early childhood education and care.

The website of private early childhood education and care contains more information on service providers’ surcharges, daycare centres and family daycare providers.

• You cannot receive two overlapping benefits. Kela’s private daycare allowance cannot be received at the same time as the service voucher.

• In private daycare centres, the period of notice is recorded in the Service Agreement and the period of notice may vary from one month to two months. The termination of an early childhood education and care place is notified directly to the private daycare centre. The service voucher does not need to be terminated separately.