Kela WH 1e: Child Home Care Allowance Form (Finland)

What is Kela WH 1e - child home care / private day care allowance?

In Finland, a family whose young child is not in municipal early childhood education can get a child care allowance from Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. Child home care allowance (kotihoidon tuki) is for a child looked after at home by a parent or another caregiver; private day care allowance (yksityisen hoidon tuki) is for a child cared for by a private early childhood education provider or a hired caregiver, and is paid to the provider. Both can come with an income-tested care supplement (hoitolisä). Form WH 1e is the English application for them.

The form is six pages long because it asks a lot: who is applying, where the family lives and works, which allowance and supplement you want and from when, how each child under school age is cared for, and — only if you want the care supplement — the family's income and the child support you pay. It also has a list of enclosures and room for additional information.

FileIt turns WH 1e into a guided web form and prints your answers into Kela's own official PDF, edition 06.26. It pre-fills your name and e-mail from your vault's People records, only asks the income questions when you apply for the care supplement, checks personal identity codes and your IBAN, makes sure every 'starting from … or for the period …' line has either a start date or a full period of at least a month, and prints euro amounts Finnish style (1 250,50). The completed PDF is filed in your vault and can be sent for e-signature. You deliver it to Kela yourself — FileIt never files anything with Kela.

Who fills it: A parent or other legal guardian (or another person) of a child under school age not in municipal early childhood education
Given to: Kela, by post (Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA) or online at www.kela.fi/english
When: Up to 6 months retrospectively; only for continuous periods of at least 1 month
Signatures: The applicant signs and prints their name
Edition: WH 1e 06.26, six pages, in English

Who needs to fill out Kela WH 1e - child home care / private day care allowance?

A parent who stays at home to look after a young child after the parental allowance period ends.
A family where a grandparent or other caregiver looks after the child at home.
A family that uses a private day care centre or a hired nanny and wants private day care allowance.
Families with a child in preschool who also need care for the rest of the day.
A family already getting the allowance that needs to report a change, such as new income, a move or a new relationship.
Families on a low or moderate income who want the care supplement on top of the allowance.

When to use Kela WH 1e - child home care / private day care allowance

When parental allowance ends and the child will be cared for at home or in private day care.
When the child starts with a private day care provider or a hired caregiver.
When the family's income, the child's day care, your municipality, your relationship or your country of residence changes.
Apply in good time: the form says the allowance is available retrospectively for a maximum of 6 months from the date of the application.
If you are going abroad, report it on this form and fill in form Y 38e; stays abroad of more than 3 months must be reported to Kela.

What you need before you start

Your Finnish personal identity code and your bank account number (IBAN) — your own account, even when the allowance is paid to the day care provider.
Each child's name and personal identity code, and how and from when each child is cared for.
For private day care: the monthly day care fee and weekly hours, and form WH 2e filled in by the day care provider.
The start date, or the start and end of the period, you are applying for.
If applying for the care supplement: details of wage, self-employment, unemployment, agricultural, rental, dividend and interest, and other continuous income for you and your spouse or partner.
Form Y 8e if you or your partner are self-employed, and any other enclosures listed in section 9.
Any child support you or your partner pay, and any income the children have.
Details of benefits comparable to parental allowances paid by another country, with the decision.

What’s on Kela WH 1e - child home care / private day care allowance

The 2026 edition has 6 pages. FileIt asks for it in 11 parts, and it is signed by Applicant:

1 ApplicantApplicant
2 Bank account numberApplicant
3 Residence or employment abroadApplicant
4 Benefit that the application concernsApplicant
5 Child care detailsApplicant
6 Family incomeApplicant
7 Children's incomeApplicant
8 Deductions which affect the family's incomeApplicant
9 EnclosuresApplicant
10 Additional informationApplicant
11 SignatureApplicant

How to fill out Kela WH 1e - child home care / private day care allowance, step by step

1 1. Applicant

Say whether you are the child's parent, another legal guardian or someone else, and give your personal identity code, name, phone number and e-mail. Kela takes your address from the population data system; if you live temporarily at another address, write it in section 10.

2 2. Bank account number

Give your own IBAN even if you apply for private day care allowance, which Kela pays to the provider of early childhood education.

3 3. Residence or employment abroad

Four yes/no questions: do you, your spouse or the child's other parent live or work outside Finland; do the children live abroad; and does anyone receive a benefit comparable to daily allowances for parents from another country. Work on a ship flying another country's flag counts as work abroad. If another country pays such a benefit for the child, these allowances can't be paid for the same time — describe the benefit and enclose the decision.

4 4. Benefit that the application concerns

Tick that you apply for care allowance, starting from a date or for a fixed period. Then either say you are not applying for the care supplement, or apply for it from a date or for a period. The allowance can also be claimed for annual holidays, but not for time when daily allowances for parents are paid for the same child.

The same section is used to report changes: the family's incomes, the children's day care, a move to another municipality, marriage or cohabitation, a relationship ending, a move abroad, or another reason — each with its date.

5 5. Child care details

For every child in the family under school age (room for three), give the name and personal identity code and how the child is cared for: home care allowance with the child looked after by you or another caregiver (name them); private day care allowance with a private provider or hired caregiver, the monthly fee and weekly hours; preschool, and what care there is besides it; or municipal early childhood education or a service voucher. Each arrangement has a 'starting from' date or a period.

6 6. Family income

Only if you apply for the care supplement. For you and your spouse or partner, answer yes or no for wage income, self-employment, unemployment allowance from an unemployment fund (with the daily amount and start date), agriculture or forest land, rental income by source and amount, dividend and interest income, and other continuous income. Kela gets most income from the Incomes Register and the Tax Administration, and benefits from Kela itself need not be reported. The form notes that capital income under EUR 20 per person per month need not be reported. Finish with expected changes over the next 12 months and changes over the past year.

7 7. Children's income

Say whether the children you apply for have any income — for instance child support, rental, dividend or interest income, or benefits from other countries — with the monthly total and a description naming the child.

8 8. Deductions which affect the family's income

Only for the care supplement: whether you or your spouse or partner pay child support, and how much per month.

9 9. Enclosures

Tick what you are sending: the foreign benefit decision, form WH 2e from the private day care provider, form Y 8e for self-employment income, agricultural tax documents, details of other or foreign income, and any other documents, or name documents you have already sent to Kela.

10 10. Additional information

Anything else, including upcoming changes you know about, with the number of the section you refer to. If you run out of space, tick the box for a separate sheet and write your name and personal identity code on it.

11 11. Signature

Place and date, your signature and your printed name, under the declaration that the information is true and that you will notify any changes.

Common mistakes to avoid

Asking for a period shorter than a month — child care allowances are only granted for continuous periods of at least 1 month.
Giving both a 'starting from' date and a period on the same line; choose one.
Filling in the long income section when you are not applying for the care supplement — it's only needed for the supplement.
Forgetting form WH 2e from the day care provider when applying for private day care allowance.
Applying for home care allowance for the same time as parental allowance for the child, which can't be paid together.
Leaving out a child under school age: the form asks about all of them, not just the one you apply for.
Not reporting a stay abroad of more than 3 months.

After you fill it out

Check each page of the PDF, sign section 11 and print your name under the signature (FileIt prints it for you). You can sign on paper or use FileIt's optional e-signature before uploading.

Send the application and enclosures by post to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA, or file them online at www.kela.fi/english, as the form says. FileIt doesn't send it. Keep receipts and documents related to the application, because Kela may ask for them.

The finished form is kept in your FileIt vault. When your income, day care arrangements or family situation change, report the change to Kela — section 4 of the same form is designed for that.

Fill out Kela WH 1e - child home care / private day care allowance online with FileIt

Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 190 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kansaneläkelaitos / Kela) form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault. Sign it, or send it for e-signature.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

Start Kela WH 1e - child home care / private day care allowance now — it’s free

Kela WH 1e - child home care / private day care allowance: frequently asked questions

What is Kela form WH 1e?

WH 1e is Kela's English application for child home care allowance (kotihoidon tuki) and private day care allowance (yksityisen hoidon tuki), including the care supplement. It is also used to report changes that affect these allowances.

Can I fill in WH 1e online with FileIt?

Yes. FileIt asks the questions one section at a time, skips the income sections unless you want the care supplement, and prints your answers into Kela's official PDF, which is saved in your vault.

Where do I send WH 1e?

The form says to send it and any supporting documents by post to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA, or to file it online at www.kela.fi/english. You send it yourself; FileIt does not submit forms.

How far back can I claim child home care allowance?

According to the form, the allowance is available retrospectively for a maximum of 6 months from the date of the application, and only for continuous periods of at least 1 month.

Do I have to fill in the family income section?

Only if you apply for the care supplement. The allowance itself doesn't depend on those questions; the supplement does, because the family's income affects its amount.

Is flexible or partial care allowance on this form?

Not on the 06.26 edition. WH 1e covers child home care allowance and private day care allowance; Kela has a separate form for flexible and partial care allowance.

Can I get home care allowance while the child is in municipal day care?

The form says child home care allowance can be applied for if the child is not in municipal early childhood education. Report municipal care or a service voucher in section 5 with its dates.

What do I need from my private day care provider?

Kela's form WH 2e, the information form filled in by the day care provider, is listed as an enclosure for private day care allowance. You also give the monthly fee and weekly hours in section 5.

I live abroad part of the time — does that matter?

Yes. Section 3 asks about living and working abroad, and a benefit from another country comparable to parental allowances stops these allowances for the same time. Stays abroad of more than 3 months must be reported, with form Y 38e.

Official sources

Blank form (PDF), published by Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kansaneläkelaitos / Kela): https://www.kela.fi/benefit-forms/WH1e.pdf
Official instructions and guidance: https://www.kela.fi/child-home-care-allowance
Edition shown on this page: WH 1e 06.26 (checked 2026-09-26).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kansaneläkelaitos / Kela) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-26.