Early childhood education

Kindergarten Little Santra

The early childhood education provided by the municipality of Siikainen is concentrated in the Pikku-Santra daycare center located in the center of the municipality, whose modern facilities were completed in 2006. The yard of the daycare center offers good opportunities for play, exercise, and learning in all seasons. In addition, the daycare center has access to a nearby playground, sports hall, and sports field, as well as cross-country skiing trails and two ice hockey rinks in the winter.

Address and contact information

• Local address Reippaantie 12 and postal address 29810 Siikainen
• Daycare center director Piia Lemström, 0447501195
• Group for children under 3 years old, 044-7201 070
• 3 – 6 year old group, 0447201024
• Niina Korpunen – early childhood education nanny
• Elina Nurminen - early childhood education nanny
• Marita Lahtinen - early childhood education nanny
• Jaana Rantala - early childhood education nanny

Opening hours

Pikku-Santra Daycare is open weekdays from Monday to Friday at 6.00 -17.00. In addition, the daycare provides shift care for children who are eligible and in need of it.

Early childhood education

What is early childhood education?

Early childhood education refers to a planned and goal-oriented whole of child upbringing, teaching and care, with a particular emphasis on pedagogy. The organisation of early childhood education services is guided by the Early Childhood Education Act and Decree, as well as the Early Childhood Education Plan and the local early childhood education plan issued by the Finnish National Board of Education on their basis.

Early childhood education is part of the Finnish education system and an important stage in a child's growth and learning path. Early childhood education covers the ages 0–6, i.e. the first years of a child's life from infancy to the start of comprehensive school. If a child is in preschool, they have the opportunity to receive early childhood education that complements preschool.

Applying for an early childhood education place

According to the Early Childhood Education Act, all children have a subjective right to full-time early childhood education. For example, the guardian's employment, study or unemployment do not limit this right. In addition, shift care is arranged for the child in the evenings, at night, on weekends, as well as on weekdays and public holidays, to the extent necessary, if the child needs it due to the work or study of a parent or other guardian.

You can apply for an early childhood education place all year round, but no later than four months before the need for care begins. If early childhood education is needed due to the guardians' employment, education or studies and the time of the need for care is not predictable, you must apply for an early childhood education place no later than two weeks before the child needs an early childhood education place.

For the time being, applications for an early childhood education place can only be made using a paper form, which can be printed below (see forms). When submitting the application, an agreement regarding the child's care time is drawn up, which is always amended when the need for care time changes.

Reporting appointments and absences

Guardians must notify the daycare center of their children's planned care times at least 7 days before the start of the care week. In addition, guardians must notify the daycare center of any possible absences as soon as possible after receiving information about them.

Free early childhood education

According to the decision of the Siikainen Municipal Council, early childhood education is free of charge for residents of the Siikainen municipality.

Municipal supplement for home care support

In the municipality of Siikainen, a municipal supplement to home care allowance is paid as an increase in the care allowance included in home care allowance for the youngest child in the family under the age of 3. Payment of the municipal supplement requires that home care allowance is paid for the child and that one of the parents takes care of the child at home.

The municipality of Siikaisten has an agreement with Kela on the payment of the municipal supplement for home care allowance, and its payment is made through Kela, just like home care allowance.

Early childhood education plan

The early childhood education plan for Pikku-Santra Daycare Center can be downloaded below.

• Daycare center Pikku-Santra's early childhood education plan (pdf)

Early childhood education supplementing preschool education

In the municipality of Siikainen, preschool education is organized at the Pikku-Santra Daycare Center, where a preschool group operates. Early childhood education that complements preschool education is also organized at the Pikku-Santra Daycare Center.

Forms

• Application form for a child's early childhood education place (pdf)
• Service agreement form for a child's early childhood education period (pdf)
• Information about the child form (pdf)

Early childhood education plans

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