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Partial care allowance

You can get partial care allowance if you work no more than 30 hours a week while caring for a child. Partial care allowance is paid to parents of children who are in the first or second year of school.

Partial child care leave is granted by the employer. You must therefore enter into an agreement on this with your employer before you can take the leave. You must notify your employer at least 2 months before you plan to take the leave.

Eligibility

Partial care allowance is paid to parents of children who are in the first or second year of school. For children who are within the scope of extended compulsory education, it can also be paid for the preschool year and the third year of primary school. 

The following requirements apply to the partial care allowance:

  • your maximum average working hours total 30 per week, or less, due to child care responsibilities. In practice, this means, for example, a 6-hour working day or a 4-day working week.
  • you are employed in the private or public sector
  • you have a valid pension insurance under the Self-Employed Persons' Pensions Act (YEL) or the Farmers' Pensions Act (MYEL).

Both parents can be paid partial care allowance concurrently if they look after the child at different times. Partial care allowance can also be paid to a non-custodial parent (i.e. a parent who does not live in the same household as the children).

Family structure does not affect the eligibility for partial care allowance.

To parents in multiple-birth families, partial care allowance is also only paid to one parent for one child at a time. It is however, possible for both parents to be paid partial care allowance during the same period, provided that one parent applies for the allowance for one child and the other parent applies for the allowance for another child.

It is also possible for parents to take care of their children at the same time during part of the working week, provided that one parent applies for partial care allowance and the other parent applies for child home care allowance.

Family structure does not affect the eligibility for partial care allowance.

Family structure does not affect the eligibility for partial care allowance.

How other benefits affect the partial care allowance

Partial care allowance can be paid at the same time as, for instance, private day care allowance, or if the child attends municipal early childhood education.

You cannot get partial care allowance if

  • you fall ill and are on sick leave for at least 4 weeks (the entitlement to partial care allowance ends if you become unfit for work)
  • you are paid partial sickness allowance
  • you are paid child home care allowance and care for your child yourself
  • you are paid daily allowances for parents at the same time
  • you are paid flexible care allowance (the other parent may receive flexible care allowance for another child)
  • you are registered as an unemployed jobseeker
  • you are on job alternation leave.

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Last modified 18/11/2021