Preschool education

The City of Uusikaupunki offers families a wide range of early childhood education services. The objective is to support children in balanced growth, development and learning together with their parents.

The City of Uusikaupunki provides early childhood education in day care centres, group family day care homes, and family day care. There are also private day care centres available in Uusikaupunki. Parents who choose to place their child in private day care are eligible for private day care allowance and a municipal supplement, or they can apply for a service voucher.

Applying for day care

You should fill in your day care application in good time, at least 4 months before you need day care. In urgent cases, a place can be arranged in two weeks.

Applications are received continuously. Applications for early childhood education (pre-primary education and day care) are submitted electronically. If the applicant is unable to use the electronic service, application forms are available at day care centres and the city office, or you can print one from the link below.

Starting day care

After you have received information on day care placement, contact your day care to set up a meeting with the day care staff. During the first meeting, you will discuss your child and the practices of the day care centre.

It’s important to get to know your day care centre. It will be easier for the child to stay in day care for the whole day if they have had the chance to practice beforehand. The smaller the child, the more practice is recommended. After the child has been in day care for some time, the parents and day care staff will meet again to discuss the child’s early childhood education plan.

Pre-primary education

Pre-primary education begins during the year when the child turns six. The primary objective of pre-primary education is to provide the child with the prerequisites for learning and development and to strengthen the child’s positive self-image. Pre-primary education is based on play-like activities that are suitable for the child’s level of development.

Pre-primary education is provided in day care centres in Uusikaupunki free of charge. A separate national syllabus is used for pre-primary education. Instead of focusing on individual skills, the objective is to develop the child’s overall learning skills. Children learn by doing and playing together with others.

Pre-primary education enrolment takes place electronically in the spring. Pre-primary education lasts for about 4 hours per day, and children taking part in pre-primary education also have the right for day care, according to the family’s needs.