The early childhood education system works, but families' freedom of choice is not always realised (Kuusiholma-Linnamäki)

In Finland, every child has the right to Early Childhood Education and Care, guaranteed by the Early Childhood Education Act, and the accessibility of services is supported by income-based fees and sibling discounts. However, KT Julia Kuusiholma-Linnamäki's doctoral research shows that the structures of the system alone are not enough to guarantee families real freedom of choice in childcare solutions. Family background factors have a significant impact on the type of care paths that children follow from the age of one to four. Kuusiholma-Linnamäki's doctoral thesis was examined at the University of Jyväskylä on December 5, 2025.

According to the study, stable care paths were most common in low-income families, families of senior white-collar workers, and families with mothers born in Finland. However, stability was constructed in different ways: in low-income families, it was often associated with long-term home care, while in families with a higher socioeconomic status, it was associated with early daycare and continuity of the same care facility. More unstable care pathways were more common in middle-income families, among children of immigrant mothers, and in families with younger siblings.

According to the study, Finland's family policy objectives pull in different directions, as families are encouraged to pursue both Early Childhood Education and Care and home care. In some situations, home care support can stabilize care pathways, but on the other hand, it can increase their discontinuity, especially in families with multiple children. In addition, the mother's position in the labor market has a significant impact on childcare solutions. Kuusiholma-Linnamäki emphasizes that family policy decisions should take better account of the individual needs of families and the best interests of children so that families have a real opportunity to choose the form of care that suits them best.

Julia Kuusiholma-Linnamäki defended her doctoral dissertation in early education "Children’s Care Arrangements by Age Four and Contextual Factors in the Crosscurrents of Finland’s Childcare Policies" on December 5, 2025. Opponent was professor Heikki Hiilamo (University of Helsinki) and custos senior lecturer Eija Räikkönen (University of Jyväskylä).

The dissertation can be read at https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-86-1116-5.