High-quality early childhood education and care is needed today more than ever
Poverty among families with children is increasing, and more than one in ten children live in low-income households. One in five people who rely entirely on basic social security are raising children. SuPer urges decision-makers to prioritize the wellbeing of children and young people.
Municipalities and wellbeing services counties should be provided with sufficient resources to ensure services for children and families with children. Cuts in central government transfers to municipalities and wellbeing services counties weaken these services. Cuts in integration compensation for immigrants also make it more difficult for children and families to provide essential services while increasing the costs of corrective measures and the risk of social exclusion of children and young people.
Päivi Inberg, SuPer’s President, emphasizes that high-quality early childhood education and care helps families cope, which is why it should not be subject to cutbacks.
“In the day-to-day life of daycare centers, budget cuts would have a direct affect on children’s ability to receive care and support for their growth from professionals who also need sufficient resources to work in a high-quality and ethically sustainable way. We are talking about a period that provides tools for a person’s entire life,” Inberg emphasizes.
The staffing level in early childhood education and care may be computationally met, but it may still be insufficient in everyday life, where there are illnesses, some staff make plans in the office, keep in touch with guardians – and are thus absent from the group.
“Early support measures and individual attention to each child help prevent more serious problems later. For this reason, it is especially important to always have a sufficient number of skilled adults in the group–whether they are substitutes or permanent staff.
Inberg points out that practical nurses are the only health care professionals in early childhood education and care. Through their education, they also have special professional skills to monitor children’s mental wellbeing as part of their daily work.
“Municipalities must resist the urge to cut back on early childhood education and care so that costs are kept under control and Finland can prosper. Short-sighted austerity measures are expensive.
“Early support measures and individual attention to each child help prevent more serious problems later.”
– Päivi Inberg
Published in English 11.9.2025.
Further information
