Study title

The survey focused on the scope, service provision, administration and development of child-minding services in Finnish municipalities. These services (also called family day care) offer families child-minding at the home of the minder, at the home of the family or in a group with several minders. The respondents were child-minding coordinators. Similar surveys were carried out in 1997, 1999 and 2003, from the viewpoints of child-minding coordinators, day nursery managers and municipal service directors. First, the respondents were asked how many children there were within municipal child-minding service, and how the children were divided in terms of the type of day care (e.g. full day care, sessional day care). The number of employees in municipal child-minding service and their tasks were queried, as well as the number of employees hired with the help of employment subsidies. In addition, the capacity and utilisation rate of municipal family day care places were studied. Further questions covered management and decision-making on child day care in the municipality. Opinions on the use of client surveys were investigated. Finally, the development of child-minding services since 1995, the present state, and development policies for the future were charted. Background variables included the respondent's gender, year of birth, job title, work experience, level of education, and the location of the job.