Lastenhoidossa

Lastenhoidossa is a Finnish term meaning “in child care” or “in the care of children.” It is formed from lastenhoito, meaning the care of children, with the inessive suffix -ssa indicating a state or location, yielding lastenhoidossa. The expression is used to describe a situation where a child is under supervision by caregivers, whether in formal childcare services, family care, or other arrangements.

The term can refer to concrete places such as daycare centers, nurseries, or after-school programs, as well as to the general activity of looking after children. It is commonly used in everyday language, in parenting discussions, and in written Finnish to indicate that someone is temporarily occupied with child care or that children are being cared for by others.

In usage, lastenhoidossa typically describes a current state rather than a profession. It may appear in sentences like “Hän on lastenhoidossa” to indicate that a person is currently in childcare, or in descriptions of arrangements where children are in the care of a caregiver or institution. The phrasing is neutral and standard, suitable for formal and informal contexts.

Etymology is straightforward: lastenhoito combines lasten (children’s) and hoito (care), while the suffix -ssa marks inessive case, “in” or “inside.” Related terms include lastenhoito (childcare), päivähoito (daycare), and lapsiperheet (families with children).