Transcript Presentatsioon TEEMA

“Estonian childcare service
by childminder”
Liina Kanter
Advisor
Department of Children
and Families
30.11.2010
Goals for child and family policy in Estonia
To ensure children’s rights, to improve familie’s quality
of life and to encourage parents to have a number of
children they wish.
Measures for achieving child and family
policy goals
Ensuring childrens rights;
Parent support and education;
Promoting males bigger participation in family life;
Improving child protection system and developing
needful services for children;
Supporting financially families with children;
Early education and care of children
Early education and care – one key issue in
child and family policy
Equable education and care for children;
Almost 60 000 parents participation in labour market;
Higher employment of women and higher birth rate;
Equal opportunities for women and men to reconciliation
of working, family and private life;
The fight against poverty and social exclusion.
Birth rate in Estonia has decreased (2008 TFR 1,65) sociological and demographical reasons
Number of live births
Total fertility rate
30000
2,5
25000
2
20000
1,5
15000
1
10000
0,5
5000
0
0
1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Children birth leaves Estonian women aside
of labour market
100
90
93,7
88,3
80
70
60
50
55,1
45,4
40
30
20
10
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
The employment rate % of men aged 20-50, with children under age of 6
The employment rate % of women aged 20-50, with children under age of 6
The employment rate % of men aged 20-50, without small childrend
The employment rate % of women aged 20-50, without small children
2008
Challenges
Since births have increased over the past decade, the
provision of childcare has become a more pressing
issue in Estonia – not enaugh pre-school child care
institutions 39% of local governments;
The number of children in pre-school age is enlarging
and start decreasing again after 2020;
Women with small children work considerably less:
while the employment rate of fathers of children under
the age of six was about 82.4% in 2009, only around
50% of the mothers of children in this age group were
employed. The EU averages were 88.7% and 59.7%
respectively.
About projects to fight the challenges
To alleviate the lack of childcare places, a program
(slides follows) of state support for local authorities was
developed in 2007. The government allocated 1,4 billion
krooni (€88 million) for 2008-2011 to build and renovate
nursery schools, but since 2009 program is temporary
stopped because of economic recession;
The private sector is also gaining a presence in the field
and local governments often support private care
providers with appropriate premises or financial support.
Legislation has been adopted for the development of
additional childcare services since 2007 including the
definition of professional standards for care providers.
“A day care place for every child”
To alleviate the lack of childcare places, a program of
state support for local authorities was developed in 2007
for years 2008-2011. In 2008, pre-school child care
institutions received:
75 million krooni (€4,9 million) for the teacher’s
remuneration;
75 million krooni (€4,9 million) for developing the
learning environment;
Another 75 million krooni (€4,9 million) was allocated for
the building of new and renovation of existing pre-school
child care institutions.
Pre-primary institutions (preschool
establishment)
Local government is obligated to provide all children
aged 1,5-7 with an opportunity to attend a pre-primary
institution;
This obligation includes children with physical, speech,
sensual or intellectual disabilities or those who need
special help or special care;
Pre-primary institutions fulfil the task of children’s day
care as well as education and schooling;
It is not obligatory to attend a pre-primary institution and
it may be acquired also at home.
“Children taken care of, mothers at work”
Project was implemented in 2005-2007 by Office of the
Minister for Population and Ethnic Affairs in co-operation
with Family Education Institute and Põlva Union for
Child Welfare;
Transnational partners were from Wales, Italy and
France.
The main objectives of the project, which had a total
budget of some 3 million krooni (€195,000), were to
promote conciliation between work and family life and
increase employment of parents through the creation of
flexible childcare system in Estonia.
Project measures
The project was through three principal measures,
namely:
Launching a successful childminding system in Estonia
through legislation, training, practical work and a
national level exam;
Creating an independent, creative ‘playroom’ in the city
of Polva (in the south-east of Estonia), which serves as
a model example;
Widen the knowledge of alternative childcare
opportunities through information campaigns and
transnational research and partnership. By the end of
the project an Estonian childcare model had been
created.
Childcare service (childcare provision)
Childcare service is social service, while child is cared
and developed by (professional) childminder to support
parents coping, participation in labour market or
studying;
It is considered as an extra care opportunity for those
who cannot find a place in pre-primary institutions for
their children or prefer this type of care for different
reasons;
Childcare service (childcare provision)
Since January 2007, childcare service and its
requirements are regulated in Social Welfare Act, with
purpose to increase children’s security in the situation,
while children’s are temporary under others persons
care.
Service can be offered by childminder who is working as
sole trader, or in private limited company, non profit
organization etc.
Professional childminder
Childminder (nanny) is person who is in good physical
and intellectual standing and personally take care of the
child;
Compared to the requirements for pre-primary
institutions, the requirements for childcare service by
childminder are less strict, first and foremost when it
comes to teaching the child and the educational
requirements of the childminder.
Requirements for childminder
To be a childminder, should be fulfilled following
requirements:
Age at least 18 years;
Education level at least basic school education, plus
childcare schooling at least 160 hours, plus first aid
schooling;
Personality, that is suitable for working with children;
Passed health control and medical paper by doctor;
Profession certificate issued by special obligated organ
for 5 years.
Schooling
According to the childminder training program, the
schooling take place in vocational educational
institutions and institutions of professional higher
education. Also, the private or third sector agencies with
educational license can arrange trainings;
The training plan must meet the requirements of the
childminder;
Childminder’s professional standard stipulates the
necessary
knowledge,
skills
and
personal
characteristics of the child care and development. It is
possible to request a childminder’s II and III level
qualifications.
Requirements for providing childcare
Childcare by one childminder is allowed to take care of:
Up to 5 children simultaneously on child home;
Up to 10 children in other suitable rooms;
If there are more than 5 children in childcare, then
younger than 3-years old child or (severe or profound
disability) disabled child will be considered as two
children.
Crèche and full day care
Childcare can be divided into two by duration:
crèche (under 4 hours a day) or
full day care (more than 4 hours a day);
Requirements for childcare service for full day care are
enlarged as follows:
Childcare provider ensure child nutrition by special
requirements from Food Act;
If service is provided in others suitable rooms than child
home, should be guaranteed bed as well.
Health protection requirements for providing
childcare
Requirements for environment are mostly appointed in
Public Health Act and contain issues as:
Fresh air, water, light, canalization, conditions for using
bathroom, phone etc.
Rooms,
stairs,
furniture,
outside
playground
requirements ensure, that environment would be safe
and based on children’s needs.
Most spread childcare forms in Estonia
Childcare in child‘s home – max 5 children,
requirements by law are the smallest, cause the
assumption, that it is already suitable environment for
child;
Childcare in childminder home – max 5 children,
requires rooms adjustments. Also all childminder’s adult
family members should be with good mental health and
pass medical control;
Playroom – place where child can play for some hours,
one childminder can simultaneously take care of max 10
children. Requires rooms adjustments. Child can stay in
playroom no longer than 4 hours. Children and
childminders can vary. Does not require nutrition or bed
for sleeping.
Most spread childcare forms in Estonia
Child-minding – One childminder take simultaneously
care of 4-5 children in different age. Can be in child’s
home or in childminder’s home or in some other suitable
rooms. Criteria are:
Group is constant;
Childminder is always the same;
Children are in different age;
If some of the criteria is not fulfilled, it is not a childminding.
Funding in childcare
Childcare service by childminder is generally paid by
parent, but some local governments support parents by
compensating this service partly or fully;
Funding system and circumstances in local
governments are different;
Childcare service for children until 18-years with severe
or profound disabilities is supported by the state budget.
If the childcare service is funded by local government or
by state, is required action licence by county
government.
Under 3-years old children in early education and
care
3–6-years old children in early education and care
100%
90%
6
16
11
5
9
5
8
3
5
85
86
87
92
2006
2007
2008
2009
4
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
78
30%
20%
10%
0%
2005
Kindergarten
By parents
Other
Development
All local governments have a development plan that
usually covers activities and objectives related to early
years education and care, taking into consideration the
area’s demographic situation and needs;
By Ministry of Social Affairs “Children and families
development plan 2011–2020” is being drawn up and
should be completed by June 2011. Plan includes also
developments and activities related to early years
education and care.
Thank you!
Contact:
Liina Kanter
Advisor
Department of Children and Families
Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia
Tel. 00372 6269 361
[email protected]
www.sm.ee