Frequently asked questions
Who to contact, what to do, etc.
The total monthly fee is the current maximum value of the service voucher plus the additional fee charged by SELC. The family is charged the difference between the total monthly fee and the value of the voucher granted plus the additional fee charged by SELC.
On 1st August 2024 the additional fee in Sunshine Pyynikki, Ranta-Tampella and Sorsapuisto is 60 €. In Sunshine Hervanta the additional fee is 20 € per month.
The fee variations for a family living in Tampere, Kangasala, Lempäälä, Nokia, Pirkkala, Sastamala or Ylöjärvi are as follows (as of 1st August 2024):
Sunshine Pyynikki / Sorsapuisto / Ranta-Tampella: the cost to the family is 60 – 371 € per month depending on the parents’ income.
Sunshine Hervanta: the cost to the family is 20 – 331 € per month depending on the parents’ income.
• The city of Tampere or, depending on the child’s home address, other local municipality (Kangasala, Lempäälä, Nokia, Pirkkala, Sastamala or Ylöjärvi) grants a service voucher to the family. The value of the voucher is dependent on the family’s income.
• The guardian’s contribution is billed monthly in arrears.
• The monthly fees are the same regardless of whether the child is absent from the day-care due to illness or holidays. SELC determines on an annual basis whether it is possible to offer a discount during the summer period (normally in July only).
• Parents are required to apply for the service voucher from their own municipality before the start date of this contract
Yes, we can arrange a visit. However, please contact the manager beforehand to make an appointment. Alternatively, you can contact our Office at office@selc.fi to arrange the visit.
We arrange an open evening at least once per semester in all of our centres, and we invite all the families who have applied for a place. An open evening is an ideal time to visit, because then we have our teachers free and able to answer all your questions and tell you about the daily activities in the groups.
For children under 3-years of age, the ratio between teaching staff and children is 1:4.
For children over the age of 3, the ratio is 1:7.
The size of the group is limited by law so that there can only be three responsible staff members working in a group. That means that the group size is a maximum of 21 children, if all the children are more than three years of age.
These are the minimum levels of staffing based on the Finnish Early Childhood Education Law.
At Sunshine we have some smaller groups of 12 or 14 children. The number of staff members in a group is based on the number of children and the age of the children in the group.
There is no need to know any English before joining Sunshine. The children learn to understand the language very quickly and most of our staff members understand Finnish, so your child will be understood. Children pick up the language surprisingly fast and soon start to repeat the songs and rhymes used at Sunshine.
If there are any challenges in the child’s development, especially language development, it is good to consider carefully if an English language learning environment would be beneficial to the child. In this case it would be good to talk to your child’s speech therapist and ask what they think. Children’s development is very individual, and sometimes it might be good to wait and see how the child’s language develops for example during the following year. Any developmental challenges can intensify when the child is put in an environment with a different language.
You can always contact us and discuss the situation with us too. It is also very important to tell us about any concerns that the neuvola nurse or your child’s previous daycare has brought up regarding your child’s development. We are here to work with you and to support your child’s development in every way.
We have breakfast available for the children until 8.20 in the morning. Lunch is a warm meal and is available at around 11.30 depending on the building. An afternoon snack is served at around 14.30 in the afternoon.
At Preschool, all meals are served in the school cafeteria by Pirkanmaan Voimia.
In the other Sunshine units we prepare breakfast and snack in each of our buildings, while lunch is delivered to us by ISS Palvelut Oy.
With breakfasts and afternoon snacks we always have fresh fruit and vegetables available with whole grain porridge or bread and milk. We avoid offering children ready-made sugary yogurts and fruit soups, instead always looking for more nutritious and healthy alternatives.
For full details there is always a lunch menu on the notice board of the building.
Yes. We cater for different allergy and other diets (eg vegetarian or vegan). You will be asked about your child’s diet when signing the contract with us.
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