Special Day Care

The aim of early childhood education and care is to identify the child’s need for support as early as possible and to respond immediately. The need for the child’s support is assessed jointly with the guardians, early childhood education and care staff, the special teacher for early childhood education and care and, where appropriate, other experts.

The need for support can either be short-term or long-term and it may be related to the child’s normal development or to challenges experienced in development and learning. Support measures are part of the daily activities of early childhood education and care, and they are carried out in the child’s own day care centre, pre-primary education or family day care group.

The support required by the child is recorded in the child’s individual early childhood education plan (VASU). During pre-primary education, a learning plan for general or intensified support is compiled for the child. An individual education plan (HOJKS) shall be developed for a child with need for special support. The plan is developed in cooperation with the guardians and other cooperation partners, and the plan is periodically evaluated.

Support is constructed utilising various pedagogical solutions, taking into account the individual needs of the child. If necessary, additional resources may be allocated to the child’s early childhood education and care group. If the support efforts at the child’’s early childhood education and care location are not sufficient, the child shall have the opportunity to be integrated into a special group.

Special early childhood education teachers (VEO) act as experts in special pedagogy in their respective areas of responsibility.