Rauma cuts summer daycare absences with new fees

Rauma has curbed high summer absences from early childhood education by introducing fees for unreported no-shows, Yle reports. Last summer, as many as 50 children booked into daycare failed to attend on some days.

This year, the city charged families for unreported absences. A childcare booking lasting at least five days was billed at half the child’s monthly fee, with a minimum charge of 15 euros.

Parents had to cancel booked care times at least 10 days in advance to avoid the fee. No charge was imposed for absences caused by illness.

Pauliina Henriksson, Rauma’s director of early childhood education, said parents had stopped making unnecessary bookings this summer, effectively resolving the problem.

The change has also reduced the city’s costs. Henriksson said it was too early to estimate the exact savings, but Rauma had five fewer daycare groups operating in July than during the same month last year.

Depending on the children’s ages, each group accommodates between 12 and 21 children.