Sanna Parrila. A review of group family day care in Finland. Helsinki 2007. 75 pp. (Reports of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, ISSN 1236-2115; 2007:54) ISBN 978-952-00-2456-7 (pb), ISBN 978-952-00-2457-4 (PDF)

Commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health a national welfare service provider, Verve, examined the state of group family day care for children in municipalities in May 2007. The review was based on the proposal for measures submitted by the sub-committee on development of family day care of the Advisory Board for Early Childhood Education and Care (Reports of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2007:5). According to the review extensive information is needed of the present state and forms of group family day care as a basis for developing this type of day care in municipalities. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will make use of the information provided by the review among others in revising the child day care legislation.

The data collection relating to the review was carried out in the form of an Internet-based questionnaire so that one person from each municipality (416) was requested to store the information of group family day care in their municipality on the electronic questionnaire form at Verve’s website (www.verve.fi/paivahoito). There were separate records of the forms in Finnish and Swedish. The questionnaire was based on the Digium Enterprise research and data collection programme. The questionnaire was divided into six separate theme areas: 1) background information, 2) forms of group family day care and personnel structure, 3) facilities. 4) leadership, 5) planning and evaluation of activities, and 6) development.

The questionnaire was replied by 73 % (N=302) of the municipalities. Altogether 84 % (N=253) of the respondent municipalities provided municipal group family day care and 16 % (N=49) did not offer this type of day care.

Judged from the results the identity of group family day care as a component of family day care has been obscured. The most typical form of providing group family day care is no more a small unit of two child minders, eight children in fulltime day care and two children in part-time care. According to the results the major part (67 %) of group family day care comprises units of three or more staff members, in which up to forty children may be registered. This does not correspond to the characteristics of group family day care: a small group, home-like atmosphere and permanent human relationships.

It is a worrying feature in providing group family day care that it is organised in many municipalities contrary to the provisions regarding day care. According to the review the provisions on group family day care are not complied with at least in four respects: 1) with respect to the number of children cared for simultaneously; 2) with respect to the number of adults and children; 3) with respect to the qualification requirements for the staff; and 4) with respect to preparing child-specific early childhood education and care plans. A partial explanation to this may be that those responsible for day care in municipalities do not know well enough the content of the provisions guiding group family day care and their impact on its quality. In some municipalities an obstacle to the provision of quality group family day care in accordance with the relevant provisions is their limited financial resources. The development of the quality of group family day care has lagged behind the quantitative development of child day care.

Key words: day care, early childhood education and care, family day care, group family day care