Application Processing Schedule

All early childhood education and care applications are processed by the Early Childhood Education and Care Service Coordination team. The team will contact the guardian during the processing if needed. If you want to edit your application, please contact service coordination: tel. 08 558 45300 (on weekdays 9.00-12.00) or e-mail varhaiskasvatus@ouka.fi. 

If you have filled in an electronic form in eVaka, you can edit the form yourself if it has not yet been taken into processing.  

The processing time is four months. If the need for care is sudden due to work or studies, the processing time is two weeks. 

During Spring 2026, the following schedule will be followed in processing applications:

January
Guardians will receive a decision regarding their child’s future pre-primary education placement on 8 January 2026. If the placement does not meet their preferences, guardians have the opportunity to apply for a secondary placement. The application period for a secondary pre-primary placement is 19 January–1 February 2026.
January is also the time to apply for a place in the same daycare for younger siblings of the future pre-primary pupil, if the guardians so wish.

February
Processing of secondary pre-primary placements begins.
In February, it is also possible to submit an application for early childhood education for the term starting on 1 August 2026.

March
Information about a possible secondary pre-primary placement will be sent to guardians by the end of March.

March, April, and May
March, April, and May are the months for processing new applications and transfer applications. There are many transfer applications each year, especially to areas with a high number of children and to new daycare centers, where places are in high demand. It is not always possible to fulfill everyone’s first preference. In transfer decisions, priority is given to families who currently have to transport their children to different locations or who have an exceptionally long and difficult commute.

May
Decisions regarding early childhood education placements for children starting in August will aim to be sent to families during May–June, provided the application was submitted on time, i.e., four (4) months before the start of early childhood education.