Early Childhood Education and Care Data Archive (VARDA)
The Early Childhood Education and Care Data Warehouse (Varda) collects information on children in early childhood education and care, places of work and early childhood education and care staff. Varda has been introduced in phases from 1 January 2019 to 1 September 2020. The storage of data in Varda is governed by the Early Childhood Education Act (540/2018). The data stored in Varda can be used in both municipal and national development and decision-making.
The data subject has the right to view the data stored about him/her in Varda. Children’s data can be viewed by their guardians. Guardians can view their child’s data stored in Varda through the Finnish National Board of Education’s My Study Path service.
- If there are any errors in the data stored, the carer is asked to contact the Head of Early Childhood Education and Care directly.
- Guidance for carers on how to use the service can be found in the video.
According to Section 76 of the Early Childhood Education Act, the municipality or joint municipal authority organising early childhood education and care must record the information on parents or other carers of children in early childhood education and care in Varda as of 1 September 2019. The Finnish National Board of Education is responsible for maintaining the early childhood education and care data repository. The City of Kemijärvi transfers the data on the place of work, guardians and children to Varda via the early childhood education information system by means of system integration. Personnel data is transferred from the personnel management system through integration.
Corrections to the data entered in the Varda can be made by submitting a request for correction, in writing, to the municipal early childhood education service in the first instance. The request for rectification must state what information the request for rectification concerns, how the information is to be corrected and the reasons for the request for rectification. Alternatively, the request for correction can be submitted to the Finnish National Board of Education, which will forward it to the appropriate municipality.
A written request for restriction of the processing of personal data must be submitted to the Finnish National Board of Education.
The data stored in Varda includes personal data on children in early childhood education and care. The personal data about the child that are stored in the Varda are:
- name, personal identification number, mother tongue, municipality of residence and contact details
- the establishment where the child attends early childhood education and care
- the date of submission of the application
- the start and end date of the decision or contract
- the number of hours of early childhood education and care entitlement and information on its use
- information on the organisation of early childhood education and care in the form of day care
- the way in which early childhood education and care is organised
In addition, the following personal data of the data subject are linked to Varda through the register of student numbers maintained by the Finnish National Board of Education:
- name, student number and personal identification number or other equivalent identifying information, nationality, gender, mother tongue and necessary contact details.
Privacy policy of the Early Childhood Education and Care Data Repository
