Reduction in early childhood education fees and service voucher client charges

If your family receives statutory basic social assistance, you can apply for a reduction of or exemption from early childhood education fees or service voucher client charges.

If your family’s right to receive statutory basic social assistance ends, you are no longer entitled to a reduction in fees. You must inform the Growth and Learning Sector’s Financial Management Unit of this change (contact details at the bottom of the page).

If early childhood education is a support measure related to child welfare open care, it is provided free of charge (Child Welfare Act, section 36).

To get an exemption from fees, your family’s social worker must provide the agreed information concerning your child’s client plan to the Growth and Learning Sector’s Financial Management Unit. Please note that an early childhood special education coordinator must participate in the preparation of the client plan.

For more information, please contact the senior social worker or the Growth and Learning Sector’s Financial Management Unit (contact details at the bottom of the page).

If your family’s financial situation suddenly deteriorates, you can apply for a reduction of early childhood education fees or service voucher client charges. Your family’s fees may be reduced, or your family may be exempted from fees altogether. A family’s financial situation may deteriorate, for example, due to unemployment or some other similar reason.

Decisions on fee reductions are always made on a case-by-case basis. In order to assess your family’s financial situation, we will make a calculation of available funds based on your family’s income and expenses. We will then make a decision whether a reduction of fees can be granted.

The calculation is based on the amount (in euros) corresponding to the basic amount of social assistance for each family member. All your family’s income will be taken into account, including all benefits paid by Kela (such as unemployment benefits, pensions, child support / child maintenance allowance and housing allowance).

If your family is subject to debt restructuring and early childhood education fees have been taken into consideration in the debt restructuring calculation confirmed by the district court, we will use the fees stated in the calculation.

Expenses taken into account:

• a reasonable rent or maintenance charge and electricity and water charges
• interest on mortgage and student loans (please note: loan repayments are not taken into account as expenses)
• commuting costs on public transport: the difference between the price of an ABC zone ticket and the price of a BC zone ticket (the basic amount of social assistance includes the costs of public transport within Espoo)
• enforcement fees if your family receives statutory social assistance.

Expenses not taken into account:

• mortgage repayments
• insurance premiums
• consumer credit and flexible consumer credit
• real estate and inheritance taxes
• court costs
• restructuring loan guaranteed by the Guarantee Foundation (Takuusäätiö)
• enforcement fees (with the exception of families that receive statutory social assistance).

Submit the following documents together with your application:

• Documents concerning other income besides salaries/wages. We check clients’ wages and salaries from the Incomes Register with their permission.
• A document indicating the amount of rent you pay (for example the latest rent increase notice or a rent payment calculation provided by the lessor).
• A document indicating your maintenance charge and a statement issued by your bank concerning any mortgage interest paid if you own your home.
• If your family is participating in a debt restructuring programme, your application must include the entire district court decision.