Article categories: News
Families no longer need to apply for a pre-primary place – the decision will be sent automatically
Published: 18.11.2025
Vaasa no longer requires a separate registration for pre-primary education. Families of children starting pre-primary education in August will automatically receive the decision on their child’s allocated place in January 2026.
As before, the pre-primary education placement is determined by the child’s home address within the basic education district.
– This cuts down on unnecessary bureaucracy, making things easier for families as well. Pre-primary places are still allocated according to the same principles as before, based on home address and language, but from now on separate registration is no longer required. The decision is sent to families automatically without the need to apply, says Maria Karvonen, Service Manager for ECEC.
The Finnish Language Section of the Board of Basic Education made the decision at its meeting on 11 November 2025. The matter will still be considered by the board’s Swedish Language Section on 26 November.
Decisions will be sent to families in January
Decisions on pre-primary education places for the 2026–2027 school year, starting in August, will be made in January.
In January, guardians will receive the decision on their child’s allocated pre-primary place through the Edlevo app. Edlevo is a digital service used for ECEC-related matters in Vaasa. Its use is free of charge for ECEC clients.
Guardians whose child is not currently attending early childhood education and care, or who have not given consent for electronic communication, will receive the decision on their child’s pre-primary place by post.
Families cannot choose their child’s pre-primary place
Parents or guardians cannot choose a pre-primary education placement at a specific daycare unit or within a particular area. This was the case even before the pre-primary registration process was discontinued.
If a child is currently in a Swedish-language immersion, English-language early childhood education and care, or a Steiner daycare, they will be allocated a pre-primary place at that same unit.
Families can either accept or decline the pre-primary place offered in January.
If a guardian is dissatisfied with the first pre-primary place offered in January, they can apply for an alternative place for their child in the Edlevo app from 1 to 15 February 2026.