You have the right to a place in a kindergarten in the municipality if you child has reached the age of one year by the end of August in the year in which you are applying. If your child is under one year of age, you may be given a place subject to availability.
The kindergarten shall provide the child with good opportunities for development and activity in close cooperation with the child's home and take into consideration:
- the child's age
- his/her functional level
- gender
- social, ethnic, and cultural background
Administrative procedure
Guidelines – applying for, or receiving the service
The municipality shall ascertain a structured process for distribution of kindergarten places and ensure similar consideration of children for a place in a private or municipal kindergarten. The application for a place in a kindergarten shall be made on the appropriate form which applies to all kindergartens. A separate form must be completed for each child for whom a place is being sought.
Appendix/supplement
If your child has the right to prioritised place, attach a statement from the appropriate authority to the application form.
Administrative procedure
Places are granted in accordance with the relevant criteria for selection. Special importance shall be attached to your wishes and needs in connection with the granting of places. The main selection is made annually, following which you will informed in writing about your application and in which kindergarten you have been granted a place. If your first choice has not been fulfilled, you have the right to be placed on the waiting list for that particular kindergarten.
In a supplementary distribution of places during the kindergarten year, those at the head of the waiting list will be offered a place in accordance with the selection criteria. Confirmation will be given in writing. Among the applicants who are not granted a place during the supplementary distribution, only those applicants who have a right to priority will be informed if their place has been given to another child.
If you have not been granted a place at either your first or second choice of kindergarten, you may request a reason for this to be given in writing.
Possibilities to appeal; procedure
When the main selection is made, you may appeal if your application was not successful. You may also appeal if your first or second choice has not been granted. At the supplementary selection, only those who have a right to priority at the kindergarten may appeal. The time limit for any appeal is normally three weeks from the date when you received the result of the application. The appeal is sent to the authority who made the resolution.
If the municipality detrmined that your child should have received an offer of a place, the child shall receive the first offer of a place after children who have a legal right to priority have been granted a place. If your appeal is not successful, the case is sent to the appeals tribunal in the municipality which is the authority for handling such appeals.
