Private provision of early childhood education and care services  

If you want to establish a private day care centre, apply for a permit from the Regional State Administrative Agency before starting your activities. Permit applications and notifications are made vie Suomi.fi service. 

You can start once you have received a permit. If the director of the day care centre changes, if there are changes in the decision-making powers of the centre or if you close down the centre, submit a notification vie e-service. 

If you want to work as a private family day carer, notify the municipality where you intend to provide your services. 

Municipalities and Regional State Administrative Agencies offer advice and guidance to private service providers already in the planning stage of early childhood education and care services. We recommend that you contact the municipal authority well in advance of starting activities. 

See also Chapter 9 of the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care and the Decree of the Ministry of Education and Culture on the notification procedure of a private service provider in early childhood education and care and the related appendices.  

Private day care centres that have started their activities before 2023

During the transition period from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2026, each service provider that is already providing services must apply for a permit. Immediately apply for a permit during the transition period if

  • your municipality changes
  • you add or reduce day care centres
  • you change the number of early education places
  • you make changes in the arrangement of shift care
  • you make changes related to persons with decision-making powers.

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Links to legal texts