Finland’s Public Childcare System Puts the Rest of the World to Shame
In Finland, 70 percent of preschool children attend a full day care service supported by the government. There’s absolutely no reason why countries like the United States can’t do the same.
Like many parts of the welfare state, day care provision is today a cause for all Finnish parties, not just those on the Left. (Getty Images)
The autumn is a colorful time in Finland. The trees turn yellow and then red before the leaves fall. Neon pinks and yellows also appear — the reflective vests of toddlers and children venturing out to explore parks and cities with their day care teachers.
In Finland, these sights are omnipresent. The country’s free or inexpensive public and private day care is, in many suburbs, so extensive that it seems every block might well have one. This autumn, my eighteen-month-old daughter has started in hers — a city-run public day care quite close to our home.
There, for a part of the day, she will join a group of twelve equally small kids while her parents go to work or study. Among other activities, she plays with friends, goes on nature trips, and visits the library.
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.