Applying for the daycare place guarantee

The City of Tampere early childhood education and care services offer a daycare place guarantee. This means that if the need for early childhood education and care for a child is terminated for a reason including, but not limited to a parent’s maternity leave, parental leave, child-care leave, layoff, or unemployment, a child may suspend their early childhood education and care in favour of the guarantee for no less than four (4) months, and be eligible to return to the same daycare centre after the absence. 

The guarantee is only in force if the child has had a consistent care relationship for at least three (3) months prior to the interruption. The guardians and the daycare centre manager will agree on the daycare place guarantee in writing. The daycare centre must be notified of a place guarantee absence at least two (2) weeks before it begins. The preliminary date of return to care must be registered as the agreement is made and confirmed one month before care is to resume. The City of Tampere early childhood education and care services will ensure a place continues to be available at the same daycare centre. 

The daycare place guarantee is available in both Tampere municipal and outsourced daycare centres. The daycare place guarantee does not apply to family daycare, group family daycare, or pre-primary education. 

The daycare place guarantee agreement can be concluded for a term of two (2) years at most, or until the beginning of the child’s pre-primary education. The daycare place guarantee will expire if the family needs a place in early childhood education and care prior to the end of the absence period. In such a case, they must apply for a place in daycare in accordance with the normal procedure. The guarantee is also considered terminated if the family moves out of Tampere for a period of more than one year, or permanently. 

If the care relationship has been in force in the August of the previous year, the child has the right to a free-of-charge July, as well as to select the free weeks in the summertime (8 weeks). 

During the guarantee period, the family may be eligible for home care allowance as determined by Kela. 

A service voucher cannot be issued, nor a private daycare allowance paid, during the guarantee period. 

The daycare place guarantee agreement must be made on the dedicated form: 

Daycare place guarantee (form being updated)

During the absence, the open early childhood education and care services provided by the City of Tampere are available to the family. Read more about play activity centres, activity clubs and open family clubs: