Early education fees as of 1 august 2023

The early education fees are calculated as a percentage of the family’s gross income. The highest fee is  €295/month for the youngest child in full-time early education, 40% of the youngest child’s full-time early education fee (€118/month) for the second child, and 20% of the full fee (€59/month) for any other children in the family.

Family size includes all married individuals or those living in a relationship resembling marriage in the same household and their underage children living in the same household.

Income includes all taxable earnings, capital income and 
tax-exempt income of the child, parent or other guardian and 
their spouse or other person living in a relationship 
resembling marriage in the same household. Flexible care 
allowance is calculated as income. Holiday bonus is added 
to the earned income.

Income does not include child home care allowance, child 
benefit, benefit according to the Disability Benefits Act 
(570/2007), child increase according to the National 
Pensions Act (568/2007), housing allowance, medical 
examination and treatment costs settled on the basis of an 
accident insurance, conscript’s allowance, front-veteran’s 
supplement, student financial aid, adult education subsidy, 
activity pay and reimbursement for travel costs paid in the 
form of income support, maintenance allowance according 
to the Act on the Rehabilitation Benefits and Rehabilitation 
Allowance Granted by the Social Insurance Institution 
(566/2005), maintenance allowance according to the Act on 
Public Employment and Business Service (916/2012), 
scholarships and other similar financial grants for studying, 
or reimbursement for costs of foster care. Income 
deductions concern child support paid to children outside the 
family and other corresponding expenses resulting from 
actual family relations as well as traditional life-annuity. 

The family must provide up-to-date income declarations for 
their gross income. The income declaration is not needed if 
the family agrees to pay the highest fee and will be valid until further notice.

The income information is submitted by logging in via Suomi.fi to eVaka at espoonvarhaiskasvatus.fi and clicking on 
their own name. It should be noted that adults in the family 
must identify themselves to the service through personal 
identification. If necessary, the guardian fills in the child's income information, for example child support. The family can 
submit a paper income statement form. You can find the income declaration form on the Espoo Early childhood education fees page. 

Appendices to entrepreneurial income and capital income 
must be submitted with the income statement.

We use the income information of the income register with 
the consent given by the customer in the income declaration 
if the income is available from the income register. Evaka 
automatically sends reminder messages about the end of income information.

If the family does not submit an income statement form with 
attachments, the family will be charged the maximum fee for 
their child in early education. If the charge is based on the 
absence of income data, the decision will not be corrected 
retrospectively.

Revision of the early education fee

The early education fee will be valid until further notice. The family is responsible for reporting (in writing, with attachments) any substantial changes (+/-10%) to the family’s income (including salaries) or the family size, also in the middle of a year of operations. If the family's income has increased and the guardian has not notified about it, it is possible to charge the increased fee retroactively in accordance 
with the Early Childhood Education Fees Act. The reduction of the customer fee will not be changed retroactively.

The decision-maker has the right to check the information with the relevant authorities.

The indices of the income limits used when determining early education fees will be revised as of 1 August 2024. 

The early education fee will also be revised if the valid regulations or decisions change.

Monthly payment

The monthly fee will be charged for a maximum of eleven calendar months per operating year (1 August–31 July). July is 
a free month, provided that municipal early education has begun no later than in September during the year of operations. 
Monthly early education fees are invoiced in arrears in the 
middle of the following month, and the due date of the invoice 
is at the end of the invoicing month. As an example, the June 
early childhood education fee will be invoiced in July.

Fees collected for early education

You can calculate your family’s early childhood education 
fee by using the following formula: Example: Family members 3, total gross income €6000/month. 6000 - 4998 (minimum gross income from the table above) = 1002 x 0.107 
(payment percentage 10.7) = €107,21/month full-time early 
childhood education fee. The fee is rounded to the nearest 
amount in euros.

Families can read their decisions through the Suomi.fi service if they use the service otherwise, the decisions will be sent by post.

In addition to the child’s early education time, his/her regular notified absences within a calendar month are considered in the calculation of the weekly average early education time. 

A written agreement must be prepared with the early education unit on the child’s regular weekly and daily early education time and absences. The family’s holiday periods (for example, summer, autumn, Christmas and winter holidays), as well as the child’s casual absences, are not counted in the regular early education time. As a rule, the agreement on the child’s early education schedule must be fulfilled for a duration of at least three months during a year of operations (1 August–31 July). 

If the parents/guardians reserve an early education place for the child for the duration of their holiday and fail to cancel it in advance by the required deadline, half of the monthly early education fee, as defined according to the Client Feelaw, is charged for the uncancelled early education place. 

The impact of absences on the early education fee

The monthly payment is also charged for days absent with the following exceptions:

1. If the child is absent from early education on all the days of activity during a calendar month due to his/her illness, no fee whatsoever is charged.
2. If the child is absent from early education for at least 11 days of activity in a calendar month due to his/her illness, the charged fee is half of the monthly payment. The early education unit must be notified of absences due to an illness immediately after the illness has begun.
3. If the child is absent from early education on all the days in a calendar month for a reason other than his/her illness, the charged fee is half of the monthly payment. If the child is present for even a single day, the entire monthly fee is charged.
4. For days when the child is out of early childhood education during the periods of paternity/parental benefit, no fee is charged. The paternity/parental benefit period must be reported to the early childhood education unit no later than two weeks before the start of the period.   

Temporary early education exceeding five hours a day costs €29 per day, while early education lasting no more than five hours a day costs €15 per day. The corresponding payments for a second child are €15 and €8.

Start and end of early childhood education

The early education fee is charged from the first day of early education in accordance with the early education decision. If the early education place that was applied for and granted to the child is not accepted, and the place is not cancelled before the first day of early education as indicated in the decision, half of the monthly payment is charged. If the child’s early education place is terminated, invoicing ends on the final day of early education. The early education place must be terminated with a written notice at least two (2) weeks before the end of the need for early education services.

Additional information

Issues concerning the child’s early education schedules, the need for early education and family information fall under the responsibilities of the director of the child’s day care centre or the instructor of private family day care.

Enquiries concerning the determination and invoicing of early education fees should be directed to the following parties of the Financial Administration that make the decisions on the client fees:

Customer service number +358 9 81627400

Choose your area:
01 Swedish-language day care
02 Leppävaara
03 Tapiola, Matinkylä-Olari
04 Espoonlahti
05 Espoon keskus

Available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 to 12:00

E-mail: vaka.maksut@espoo.fi

The income statement and attachments can be sent to the address City of Espoo, Financial Administration, Early Education Invoicing, P.O. Box 30, 02070 City of Espoo or handed to your child’s early education unit.