It is the employee’s obligation to report any discrepancy or threat thereof in the implementation of a child’s early childhood education and care.
According to the Ministry of Education and Culture, a report can concern e.g. a problem with the early childhood education and care facilities, staff allocations, culture or compliance with the child’s early childhood education and care plan. The report may also concern inappropriate or improper treatment of children.
Reports are perceived as difficult to submit
In 2025, Valvira (now the Finnish Supervisory Agency) examined the implementation of the duty to report in early childhood education and care. The responses showed that there was confusion about the situations in which a report should be submitted and how.
Rush is a common reason for not filing a report. Other reasons include fear of negative consequences or the reaction of the supervisor. Another reason is the experience that reporting has no effect.
The responses are not surprising, as similar messages are sent to Tehy.
Reports are used to improve work and practices
The employer’s permissive, open and development-oriented atmosphere allows discrepancies to be highlighted without fear of possible repercussions. Submitting a report should be a normal task alongside other tasks. It must be easy and take time to file a report.
The supervisor has a substantial responsibility to create a good atmosphere. A report of a discrepancy or threat thereof in the early childhood education and care of a child is not a personal attack on anyone. It comes down to operational development.
If there are no reports in the workplace, it should be regarded as a sign that something is wrong. Is everything genuinely running so perfectly that no discrepancies or threats thereof have been observed? Or are the instructions and guidelines perhaps deficient? Is the atmosphere not permissive and oriented towards development?
An open discussion on the duty to report and the related practices is a good start to find the right direction.
