The childcare service benefit offers a discount to parents on childcare services. The discount is displayed on the invoices issued by the childcare service provider.

The service provider can submit an application to receive the benefit. The grant can be used to cover the cost of labor for employees directly working with children in a private children's institution, the cost of a speech therapist and special educator or other child-related support services. Also the cost of educational materials and study tours, utility costs, and the cost of children's food.

The following requirements must be met in order to receive the benefit:

• A childcare service provider must hold a valid activity licence at the time of application. A self-employed person providing the service must be qualified in childcare at the time of application;
• The service provider does not have any tax arrears to the authorities of the city of Tallinn at the time of application;
• The child using the service (hereinafter referred to as the child) is between one and a half and seven years of age (before starting school);
• According to the population register, the registered residence of the child and their parent or guardian (hereinafter referred to as the parent) has been in Tallinn on the 31 December of the year preceding the application as well as at the time of application;
• The service provider has registered the child in the database of Tallinn’s universal services;
• The parent has confirmed their wish to grant the childcare benefit to the service provider in the Tallinn e-service portal.

The childcare benefit paid to the service provider includes:

• an allowance that is equal to the estimated cost of a place in a municipal kindergarten or daycare centre in the administrative domain of the Tallinn Education Department (in 2024, it is 276 euros per child).

• Service providers will receive a supplementary benefit:

1. for the second and subsequent children of the same parent/family if they attend the same private kindergarten or daycare centre as their sibling(s);
2. for children with special educational needs for whom the service provider has received special recommendations on how to support their development, learning and upbringing from an out-of-school advisory team.

• Service providers will also receive daily food allowance for fixed meal days:

1. 2.75 euros per day for children under three years of age
2. 3.05 euros per day for children aged three and older

Parents must confirm their wish to grant the benefit to their service provider in the Tallinn e-service portal twice a year by the 15th day of the month. In this case, the benefit will be paid from the same month.

More information and the benefit application form for the service provider can be found here:

https://www.tallinn.ee/et/haridus/lapsehoiuteenuse-toetus-info-teenuse-osutajale