After parental leave

The child is about 9 months old when the parental leave ends. After the leave

• the father can take paternity leave and receive an allowance from Kela.
• the mother, father or another carer may stay at home to look after a child under 3 years of age and receive child home care allowance. Kela will not pay an allowance for the home care of a child over 3 years of age unless there are younger siblings under 3 years of age in the family.
• the child may be cared for by a private child care provider, in which case the family may claim private day care allowance.
• the family may hire a carer alone or together with other families and receive child home care allowance or private day care allowance, depending on the age of the child.
• the child may attend municipal day care, in which case Kela will not pay an allowance.

Which benefit for child care?

Kela pays home care allowance for the care of a child under 3 years of age. You may be eligible for it when one of the parents or some other carer, such as the grandmother or a paid childminder, looks after a child under 3 years of age on condition that no municipal child care has been reserved for the child. The municipality may also pay a municipal supplement, which varies from one municipality to another. Further information is available from your own municipality or by calling the customer service for families with children. A parent may stay at home to look after a child over 3 years of age, but she or he will not be eligible for benefits from Kela.

Kela pays private day care allowance for the care of children under school age in private day care or by a private childminder. In such a case, the family must have a contract of employment with the private day care provider.

If there are several children in the family, it is possible to choose between child home care allowance and private day care allowance separately for each child according to the child's age, day care provider or childminder. Therefore, a family can receive both child home care allowance and private day care allowance at the same time when they are paid for different children. Both allowances are not paid for one child simultaneously. You can use the calculator (in Finnish) to find out which allowances and how much your child may be eligible for.

The terms of the municipal supplement vary from one municipality to another. You can check the terms from your municipality or Kela's customer service for families with children.

A family may employ a carer or join a home care group, in which case every family may receive child home care allowance or private day care allowance depending on the age of the child. Further information is available under section When you employ a carer.

Updated 03/05/13

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