D4 Published development or research report or study
Viisivuotiaiden maksuttoman varhaiskasvatuksen kokeilun ensimmäisen vaiheen arviointi : varhaiskasvatukseen osallistuminen ja kokeilun järjestäminen (2019)
The first phase of the evaluation of an experiment on free of charge early childhood education and care for five-year-olds : participation in early childhood education and the organization of the experiment

Siippainen, A., Repo, L., Metsämuuronen, J., Kivistö, A., Alasuutari, M., Koivisto, P., & Saarikallio-Torp, M. (2019). Viisivuotiaiden maksuttoman varhaiskasvatuksen kokeilun ensimmäisen vaiheen arviointi : varhaiskasvatukseen osallistuminen ja kokeilun järjestäminen. Julkaisut / Kansallinen koulutuksen arviointikeskus. https://karvi.fi/publication/viisivuotiaiden-maksuttoman-varhaiskasvatuksen-kokeilun-ensimmaisen-vaiheen-arviointi-varhaiskasvatukseen-osallistuminen-ja-kokeilun-jarjestaminen/

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Siippainen, Anna; Repo, Laura; Metsämuuronen, Jari; Kivistö, Anne; Alasuutari, Maarit; Koivisto, Päivi; Saarikallio-Torp, Miia

ISBN: 978-952-206-542-1

eISBN: 978-952-206-543-8

Journal or series: Julkaisut / Kansallinen koulutuksen arviointikeskus

ISSN: 2342-4176

eISSN: 2342-4184

Publication year: 2019

Number in series: 16:2019

Number of pages in the book: 98

Publisher: Kansallinen koulutuksen arviointikeskus

Place of Publication: Tampere

Publication country: Finland

Publication language: Finnish

Persistent website address: https://karvi.fi/publication/viisivuotiaiden-maksuttoman-varhaiskasvatuksen-kokeilun-ensimmaisen-vaiheen-arviointi-varhaiskasvatukseen-osallistuminen-ja-kokeilun-jarjestaminen/

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Abstract

An experiment on providing five-year-olds with free of charge early childhood education and care (ECEC) was launched by the Government for the period 2018–2020. The purpose of the experiment was to increase the participation of five-year-olds and their siblings in ECEC and to promote their guardians’ employment. The experiment also aimed to develop the pedagogy and service counselling of ECEC. The long-term goals were strengthening educational equality in Finland as well as increasing participation rate in early childhood education and care, which currently is lower than in the other Nordic countries. The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) evaluated the achievement of the experiment’s objectives. This report encompasses an evaluation of the first phase of the experiment on free of charge ECEC. Applications to participate in the first phase of the experiment were received from 19 municipalities. The participating municipalities offered 20 hours of free of charge early childhood education and care to the families of five-year-olds. Central government compensation was granted to cover 20% of the estimated reduction in the accrual of fee revenue. The first-phase evaluation is based on three different data sets: a questionnaire addressed to parents of five-year-old children, a questionnaire addressed to municipalities and interviews with office holders in participating municipalities. In addition to the participating municipalities, data were also collected from reference municipalities. In the selection, such aspects as demographic factors and geographical location were taken into consideration. The evaluation indicates that five-year-old children’s participation in early childhood education and care increased more in the participating municipalities than in the reference municipalities. In addition to the fact that the service was offered free of charge, the increase in the participation 8 rate may be explained by more effective service counselling and a positive attitude towards early childhood education and care in the municipalities involved in the experiment. A larger proportion of five-year-olds participated in early childhood education and care in those municipalities that had not restricted the subjective right to ECEC and where the group size had not been raised. Some five-year-olds did not participate in early childhood education and care, however, regardless of it being offered free of charge. In particular, the attitudes of guardians towards ECEC, siblings under the age of 3 and the work situation were among the factors explaining the childcare solution. The data suggest that in the municipalities who participated the experiment, five-year-olds attended ECEC more often, even if they had a sibling less than 3 years old or a guardian not working. The evaluation also addressed the economic aspects of the experiment. While few municipalities increased their early childhood education and care budgets due to the experiment, some of the costs were covered through savings obtained as age group sizes decrease. Many office holders thus mentioned the declining number of families with children as a particular reason motivating the municipality to participate in the experiment. Regardless of the costs, the experiment was thought to have positive impacts on the municipality’s child-friendly image. The evaluation also looked at the organisation of the experiment and issues related to parents’s service quidance and pedagogy. The participating municipalities organised free of charge early childhood education and care in many ways and used many forms of ECEC. In some municipalities, the free hours were offered at certain times of the day or on specific days, similarly to pre-primary teaching. The evaluation indicates that further consideration is needed of how the experiment affects such aspects as the operating times of early childhood education and care, the contents of the activities, and pedagogy. Issues related to the organisation of early childhood education and care are also factors influencing guardians’ child care solutions. Based on the evaluation, it appears that the experiment was at least partly able to reach the objectives set for it. However, he evaluation also brought up many questions that need to be looked at carefully before free of charge early childhood education and care is potentially expanded. Based on the evaluation findings, proposals for measures aiming to support the further planning and development of free early childhood education and care are put forward in the report. Attention should be paid to factors hindering participation arising from the Finnish child care and family policy system. Additionally, the implementation methods and contents of free of charge ECEC as well as issues related to covering its costs should be considered. While free early childhood education and care does ease the financial burden of many families with children, organising it is not as easy as has been suggested in public discussion.

Keywords: early childhood education and care; child care; day care; home care; participation; freedom of charge; pedagogy; evaluation; family policy

Free keywords: early childhood education and care; childcare; free of charge; home care

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2019