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Private day care allowance

Private day care allowance can be granted if the child is looked after by a caregiver paid by the family or by a private provider of early childhood education. The child must be under school age. Private day care allowance is not available if the child attends municipal early childhood education.

You can get private day care allowance after the payment of the parental allowance has ended. The earliest it can be paid is the beginning of the month in which your child is nine months old.

Private day care allowance includes

  • care allowance
  • care supplement
  • possible municipal supplement, depending on the home municipality.

Private day care allowance can be applied for by one of the parents or by other guardians. However, Kela always pays the allowance directly to the private caregiver or the provider of early childhood education. The private day care allowance is taxable income for the provider of early childhood education, but not for the family applying for the allowance.

Care allowance and care supplement is paid for each child that is eligible for the allowance. The amount of the municipal supplement, and its eligibility criteria, vary by municipality. Your municipality of residence provides further information on the municipal supplement.

Eligibility

Private day care allowance is payable to parents with a child under school age who is in the care of a childminder or nanny hired by the parents or is looked after by a private day care provider.

Private day care allowance cannot be granted

  • if the child attends municipal early childhood education or a place in municipal early childhood education has been reserved for the child
  • if a service voucher is used for the child’s private early childhood education
  • to a parent who does not live in the same household as the child
  • for a child for whom the parents are paid daily allowances for parents. However, private day care allowance can be paid for the family's other children while the parents are paid daily allowances for parents.
  • for a child who is staying abroad for a period of more than three months.

Family structure does not affect the private day care allowance.

Family structure does not affect the private day care allowance.

Family structure does not affect the private day care allowance.

Family structure does not affect the private day care allowance.

Family structure does not affect the private day care allowance.

Private provider of early childhood education

The provider of early childhood education can be

  • a person with whom the family has made a contract of employment and whom the municipality has approved as a provider of early childhood education
  • a private day care centre or family day care provider who has filed a notification with the municipality in accordance with the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care.

A relative can also be a provider of early childhood education. However, private day care allowance is not paid if the provider of early childhood education lives in the same household as the child.

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