Understanding challenges and supporting immigrant parents during the transition to Finnish ECEC
Finland’s early childhood education and care system is internationally recognised for its quality, equity, and focus on children. At the same time, Finland is becoming a more diverse society. Hence, it is important to understand how immigrant families experience this system from the beginning.
A growing reality in Finnish daycares
According to Statistics Finland (2025, 2026), the number of immigrants to Finland has been increasing over the past few years. In 2025, 50,060 people immigrated to Finland. In 2024, 3,735 children aged 0-4 years old, and 4,124 children aged 5-9 years old immigrated to Finland. These figures show the number of children sitting in daycare groups across the country, and parents who are unfamiliar and trying to adapt every day. Tverdostup also notes that (2024, p. 16), more than half of all immigrants in Finland are from outside the EU, EEA, and EFTA regions, and many of them come from cultural and educational contexts that are significantly different from the Finnish ECEC model. This difference makes their transition, adaptation, and integration into Finnish ECEC more complex.
What makes it hard for those with an immigrant background
A few challenges for immigrant parents tend to overlap, such as language, communication, pedagogy, and emotional dimension. Language is the most visible challenge. Even when basic English communication is used in practice, parents still struggle to understand, for example, the roles of ECEC staff, the meanings of situations, or expectations adjustment. Liddicoat et al. (2003, p. 8) note that this may be due to the inseparability of language and culture, and that misunderstandings often arise in communication. Meanwhile, Migdad et al. (2025, p. 12) and Lastikka & Lipponen (2016, pp. 75–94) share that cultural diversity can affect collaboration between families and educators, even when both sides are trying.
The second challenge is related to pedagogy. The National Core Curriculum for ECEC 2022 (EDUFI, 2022, pp. 46–47) highlights the play-based learning, child autonomy, and daily outdoor activities in all weather conditions of Finnish ECEC. Outdoor time is not just a break or playing time. It is considered an important part of children’s learning, well-being, and development. However, according to Lastikka and Lipponen (2016, pp. 75–94), for parents from teacher-directed systems, these practices are not easily understood. Also, Kiviranta et al. (2024, p. 103) share that appropriate clothing directly affects whether a child can participate comfortably and safely across different weather conditions. For a family arriving from a place where school stops when temperatures drop, this requires a real shift in understanding. It does not happen automatically.
Beyond the practical, there is an emotional dimension that is often overlooked. Parents naturally worry about whether their child feels safe, can make friends, develops a sense of belonging to the new group, and about their child’s overall well-being. Such concerns may last over time and continue to affect parents throughout the transition period.
What Finnish ECEC already offers
On the communication side, Finnish ECEC has clear structures in place. The National Core Curriculum for ECEC 2022 (EDUFI, 2022, pp. 7–10, 16–17, 32–33) provides specific guidance on collaboration between professionals and families, emphasizing open, respectful, and equal communication as a core principle in all interactions. When language is a barrier, interpreter support can be arranged — particularly during individual ECEC plan meetings, where parents and professionals discuss a child’s needs, set shared goals, and build mutual understanding that makes collaboration practical. Research by Lastikka and Lipponen (2016, pp. 80–90) confirms that when parents feel heard and respected in these interactions, the trust that follows strengthens cooperation on both sides.
For parents who find daily practices unfamiliar, the reasoning behind them matters significantly. The National Core Curriculum for ECEC 2022 (EDUFI, 2022, pp. 46–47) clearly notes that outdoor activity is an intentionally pedagogical choice which is essential to children’s learning, wellbeing, and physical development. Meanwhile, Lämsä (2021, pp. 1–4) also discusses the advantages of small-group activities and how they further support this. Small-group activities give children, especially those who are new to daycare or still finding their language more manageable, more opportunities to interact, connect, and feel safe before moving or joining the wider group. When ECEC professionals explain these structures to parents, then unfamiliar routines become easier to understand and trust accordingly.
Regarding belonging and emotional adjustment, the foundations are equally strong, despite previous challenges. Hence, the National Core Curriculum for ECEC 2022 (EDUFI, 2022, pp. 17–18) promotes inclusion, equal participation, and the well-being of every child regardless of background. Karila (2012, pp. 588–590) highlights that family-centred practice is built into the system by recognising parents as important partners in their children’s education, rather than passive recipients of professional decisions. Also, Norheim and Moser (2020, pp. 789–795) agree that accessible information and open communication are among the strongest facilitators of partnership between immigrant families and ECEC professionals. However, they require professionals to take the first step consistently and early.
How a practical guide can make Finnish ECEC more visible
The outcome of this thesis is a 44-page practical digital guide for immigrant parents starting in Finnish ECEC. Built on findings from interviews with both parents and ECEC professionals, and refined through multiple rounds of feedback with the commissioner of daycare, the guide covers five areas: a parents’ dictionary of core ECEC concepts, an introduction to daycare structure, daily practices including outdoor time and clothing, communication with professionals, and further resources. The guide does not replace the relationship between parents and ECEC professionals. However, the guide helps to lower the threshold — so that when a parent walks through the door on the first morning, they already know something about where they are. That changes the conversation. And for a child starting their educational journey in a new country, that might change matters.
This article is based on thesis Practical guide for immigrant parents starting in Finnish early childhood education and care by Thi Kieu Trang Nguyen, Wenjuan Zhang and Yizhu Wang. This thesis is available in Theseus via the following link: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2026050710123
References
Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI). (2022). National core curriculum for early childhood education and care 2022. https://www.oph.fi/sites/default/files/documents/National%20core%20curriculum%20for%20ECEC%202022.pdf
Karila, K. (2012). A Nordic perspective on early childhood education and care policy. European Journal of Education, 47(4), 584–595. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12007
Kiviranta, L., Lindfors, E., Rönkkö, M.-L., & Luukka, E. (2024). Outdoor learning in early childhood education: Exploring benefits and challenges. Educational Research, 66(1), 102–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2023.2285762
Lastikka, A.-L., & Lipponen, L. (2016). Immigrant parents’ perspectives on early childhood education and care practices in the Finnish multicultural context. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 18(3), 75–94. https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v18i3.1221
Liddicoat, A. J., Papademetre, L., Scarino, A., & Kohler, M. (2003). Report on intercultural language learning. Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276060725
Lämsä, T. (2021). Holistic pedagogy throughout the day in early childhood education and care. Kasvatus & Aika, 15(2), 79–86. https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.102527
Migdad, S. M., Lea, K., & Sjøen, M. M. (2025). Immigrant parents’ experiences and perspectives on the early childhood education stages in Nordic contexts. Nordic Journal of Comparative and International Education, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.7577/njcie.6002
Norheim, H., & Moser, T. (2020). Barriers and facilitators for partnerships between parents with immigrant backgrounds and professionals in ECEC. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 28(6), 789–805. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2020.1836582
Statistics Finland. (2025). Immigration remained high in 2024. https://stat.fi/en/publication/cm1jbjfbr4g1907w28shdshjr
Statistics Finland. (2026). Immigration fell again considerably in Finland in 2025. https://stat.fi/en/publication/cmetoz3xilibu07uefnhma1vn
Tverdostup, M. (2024). Shifting patterns of migration in Europe: New source countries, old challenges (wiiw Research Report No. 78). Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies. https://wiiw.ac.at/shifting-patterns-of-migration-in-europe-new-source-countries-old-challenges-dlp-6915.pdf