Current in Oulu’s Early Childhood Education

In Early Childhood Education in Oulu, a trial policy will be implemented from 1 June to 31 August 2026, under which a fee will be charged for reserved early childhood education that is not cancelled and remains unused.

A fee will be charged when:

• an early childhood education place has been reserved for the summer months,
• the reservation has not been cancelled, and
• unreported absence days exceed 5 days per month – the absences do not need to be consecutive.

Amount of the fee

The fee is 50% of the child’s monthly early childhood education fee in accordance with the Act on Client Fees in Early Childhood Education. If the family’s client fee is €0.00, 50% of the minimum fee specified in the Client Fee Act will be charged.

In practice, the fee amounts to:

• €15–155.50 in June–July, and
• €16–167.50 in August.

The fee will also be charged for July, even if the month would otherwise be free of charge for the family. Fees charged for early childhood education are subject to enforcement.

Cancelling reservations

Unnecessary reservations for an early childhood education place must be cancelled no later than before the reservation begins. Cancellations must be submitted before the start of the reservation by email, an eVaka message, or another written notification to the director of the child’s own ECEC centre, or in July, to the director of the ECEC centre on duty.

This policy is based on a decision by the Education Committee (24 March 2026, Section 30).

Finnish National Agency for Education and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare have published new recommendations for free-time use of digital devices for children between ages 0–13. The goal of the recommendations is to support the well-being of children, to prevent the harm of excessive screentime, and to offer parents clear instructions for digital education. 
 

Essential recommendations 

• For children under 2, screentime is not recommended 

• For children between 2–5, maximum of 1 hour of screentime daily 

• For children between 6–10, maximum of 1 hour; and for children between 1–13, maximum of 2 hours daily 

• Adults should restrict screentime if needed and ensure developmentally suitable content 

• Children under 13 are not recommended to have a personal smart home 

• Children under 13 should not use social media services 

The recommendations concern free-time use, not schoolwork or early childhood education learning content. 
 

Digital Peace 

Adults are responsible for securing Digital Peace – an environment where a child can grow, play, move, and interact without being overburdened by digital devices.  

Further materials for families 

The city of Oulu offers families Recommendations for Digital Everyday Life, which support parents to educate their children in digitalized everyday life. Materials are found online: Recommendations for Digital Everyday Life – City of Oulu (in Finnish). 

Read more about the recommendations on the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare’s website: Recommendations for free-time use of digital devices for children between ages 0–13. 

The city of Oulu’s early childhood education has adopted an operational model that encourages daycare centres to organize activities outdoors, and to increase exercise and trips. 

Read more about the Half Day Outdoors model on My Oulu (in Finnish)