Evening and round-the-clock care

• A child can attend a round-the-clock day care centre if both guardians are working or studying in an educational institute during evenings, at night and/or on the weekends. 

• In nonstandard hour childcare, the child’s day care hours are based on his or her guardian's working hours. The guardians must provide a certificate of their shift work, on which the child’s needs for nonstandard hour childcare is based, at least once every operational year. Additionally, written work shift plans can be requested at other times when needed. 

• The child’s care hours and the guardians’ working hours must be reported in writing on Monday of the previous week, by 18.00. If changes to childcare hours are requested after this, implementing them may not be possible. The child must have free days from day care, equalling the number of the month’s weekends and mid-week holidays. 

• Any cancellations to booked childcare hours must be notified immediately. 

• A child can be brought to a round-the-clock day care centre at the earliest by 5.30. 

• Children in need of overnight care must be brought to the round-the-clock day care centre at the latest by 20.00. The child can remain in the centre over the guardian’s necessary period of rest after their night shift. 

• The children who will not stay in care overnight must be picked up by 22.00. 

• More detailed arrangements about a child’s care are established in the agreement related to the early childhood education hours. 

• The matters to be considered in the child’s evening and overnight care are to be written down in the child’s early childhood education and care plan. 

• The pre-primary education hours of nonstandard hour childcare are written down in the action plan. In Vantaa, pre-primary education is held on operational days between 8.30 and 14.00. 

• Round-the-clock day care centres are open 24 hours per day, usually all year round, based on the needs reported by guardians. On public holidays and development days of the operational units, round-the-clock operation can be held centrally in the other nonstandard hour childcare units. 

• During the guardian’s sick leave or if the child’s sibling falls ill, the child’s day care hours will be agreed separately and will mainly take place from Monday to Friday 8.30–15.00 when pedagogic operations are mostly performed. Nonstandard hour childcare is not offered during the guardian’s free days and holidays. 

• It is important to report any changes to treatment times as soon as possible. 

• Mealtimes vary between day care centres. Dinner is served to children who remain in day care after 18.00. 

• Mealtimes vary between day care centres. Dinner is served to children who remain in day care after 18.00. 

• If the mealtimes in nonstandard hour childcare do not fall within the child’s hours in care, the guardians must feed the child at home. 

• Nonstandard hour childcare can be organised centrally in other operational units of early childhood education during separately agreed hours. 

• When the need for nonstandard hour childcare ends, a place for the child will be assigned in a standard day care group outside a nonstandard hour childcare group or centre. 

• When the family moves to another municipality, their right to nonstandard hour childcare in Vantaa will end.

• In Vantaa, in addition to early childhood education provided on weekdays between 6:00 a.m. and 5:15 p.m., shift care is also arranged at other times of the day and on other days of the week.
• Nonstandard hour childcare is not a subjective right. Nonstandard hour childcare is only offered based on regular need for it due to the full-time studies or work of the child’s guardian. The need is considered regular if the child requires early childhood education in the evenings, nights, or weekends on average five days per month over a three-month period.Recreational activities or being an instructor of recreational activities does not entitle a person do nonstandard hour childcare, unless it is the guardian’s job.
• The right to nonstandard hour childcare is based on a statement delivered by the guardian on their working and/or studying hours, issued by their employer or educational institute.
• The guardians are told already during the application process that when the need for nonstandard hour childcare ends, a place for the child will be assigned in a standard day care group outside a nonstandard hour childcare group or centre.
• If the need occurs suddenly and the family does not yet have a place in a nonstandard hour childcare, it is possible to assign a place for the child in another early childhood education place with two weeks’ notice, and nonstandard hour childcare will be arranged for the child as soon as possible.
• If a family occasionally needs childcare during the evening, overnight or on the weekend due to their work or studies, they can negotiate on arranging temporary nonstandard hour childcare in a round-the-clock day care centre. If the child needs day care during the weekend, he or she must have free days over the week to make up for these.
• Nonstandard hour childcare can be organised centrally in other operational units of early childhood education during separately agreed hours.
• When the family moves to another municipality, their right to nonstandard hour childcare in Vantaa will end. 

Act on Early Childhood Education and Care, Section 2 (2): A child’s day care should be arranged in a way that it provides a suitable place for the child’s care and education as well as continuous care during the hours during which it is needed.

The degree on children’s day care, Section 5: The day care centre’s operations over the course of a calendar year and the opening hours during a day must the arranged to meet the local needs.