We are pleased to announce that there will be a range of childcare options available at Worldcon 75. We hope that the services will help both grown-ups and children enjoy the convention, and get the most out of their time in Helsinki.
Childcare at the convention
Childcare will be available each day at Messukeskus between the following times, for children aged 3 years and up:
Wednesday – Saturday: 12:00 – 20:00
Sunday: 12:00 – 17:00.
You can book in advance at the Worldcon 75 Info Desk in the main lobby at Messukeskus. The cost is 7 € per hour and you can book for up to 2 hours at a time.
Childcare for younger children and out of hours
We have also made arrangements with two childcare providers for out-of-hours care, and for care for children under 3 years old. They have confirmed that they’re able to work with Worldcon 75 members, and are prepared for the potential volume. Please contact them directly for more information or to make bookings with them.
The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL)
The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare can provide short-term childcare around the clock, including at weekends. MLL’s sitters are typically students, and have been trained by MLL. In addition to their initial training, MLL also provides advanced training, supervision and counselling to its sitters on a regular basis. Qualified sitters hold a valid licence issued by MLL.
The price is 8,20 € per hour (16,40 € per hour on Sundays) and MLL can provide childcare in your hotel or at Messukeskus. Payment is in cash, along with a payment slip that you should complete. For night-time bookings, you will also need to cover the cost of a taxi for your sitter to get home. To use MLL’s childcare service, you need to register on their web site (for your address, enter the location for bookings – for instance, your hotel’s address). Once you’ve registered, you can make bookings online or by telephone (call in the mornings, Monday – Friday 8:00-12:00).
If you use MLL for more than 7 hours in total (note that, on Sundays, the double rate means that 30 minutes = 1 hour), you will need to pay a small amount to cover Finnish Employee Pensions Act contributions. There are instructions for this on MLL’s web site, and we can also provide contact details for a company that will do this part for you. If you pay a total of more than 200€ to a single sitter, you also need to inform the tax authorities.
Web: http://uudenmaanpiiri.mll.fi/in-english/short-term-child-care-services/
Telephone: +358 440 303 301
Hoivanet
Hoivanet is a professional childcare company with a pool of fully trained sitters. They are more expensive than MLL, costing 28,50 € per hour during the day, Monday to Saturday. On Sundays and at night (22:00 – 7:00), the cost is 48,50 € per hour. The minimum booking is for 3 hours. However, Hoivanet will cover any pension and tax payments, which may be helpful if you need a larger number of hours, or several evenings.
Additional fees:
- Long bookings: If a sitter is hired for more than 8 hours in a single booking, there is an additional charge per hour of +50% for the next 2 hours, and of +100% for every hour after 10 hours.
- Short-notice: Bookings made at less than 24 hours’ notice will incur an extra 15 € fee.
- Travel: If the sitter lives a long way from the location for the booking, travel over 15/30/45/60 km is charged at 15/30/45/60 €.
For more information and, and to book childcare with Hoivanet, please contact hoivanet@hoivanet.fi or call +358 104 222 100.
We are still seeking additional childcare agencies with whom we can work. If you’re resident in Helsinki and have any recommendations, please do let us know. You can contact us with recommendations, or with any other queries about childcare, at memberservices@worldcon.fi.
