Family and Social Services in Turku
Where can I get financial support?
If you need financial support to get by, you must contact Kela (the Turku or Varissuo office) who may provide you with primary support, such as housing allowance. After this, you are entitled to apply for income support from the Turku Municipal Social Services and Health Care Department.
KELA Turku
Street address: Eerikinkatu 26, 20100 TURKU
Postal address: P.O. Box 366, 20101 TURKU
KELA Varissuo
Street address: Littoistentie 81, 20610 TURKU
Postal address: P.O. Box 40, 20611 TURKU
The Immigrant Services Office serves newly-arrived Ingrian returnees and immigrants with a refugee background and their family members.
The Immigrant Services Office
Rauhankatu 14 b C
20100 Turku
tel. (02) 262 6111, telephone advice service provided Mon-Fri from 9:00–10:00
Other immigrants should attend to their business at regional Social Offices. After you have submitted your first income support application for processing and received a decision on it, you will be directed to your own Social Office.
You can call the Turku Municipal Social Services and Health Care Department’s Client Guidance and Application Processing Office in order to get more specific information about income support and how to apply for it.
Client Guidance and Application Processing Office
tel. (02) 262 5001, telephone advice service provided from 8:30–15:00.
Information desk, open on weekdays between 12:00–14:00, Linnankatu 23, 20100 Turku
Children and the Youth
Children
Where do I find a day care place and how do I apply for it?
Day Care Organised by the Municipality
You must apply for a day care place at least four months before your child will need it. If the need for day care is caused by the guardian’s unexpected employment, training or study, the day care place must be applied for as soon as possible. In such cases, the minimum time for organising care is two weeks. Families apply for a place with an application form.
These forms are available from day care centres (link), Family Day Care Directors, the Service Area Chiefs and the Day Care Department. The application and its appendices should be submitted to the day care centre’s Director or Family Day Care Director at the place where you primarily wish your child to be cared for. The period of validity is one year. As yet, the application cannot be submitted electronically.
The day care area is determined by your home address. You can obtain an application from the Day Care Administration Office at:
Linnankatu 23, 5th floor
20100 Turku
Office hours are Mon-Fri between 8:30–16:00
You can also apply for private day care, whose costs the City of Turku will participate in.
Where Can Families Find Help in Difficult Life Situations?
Children and their families, who find themselves in difficult life situations, can receive help from the Turku Municipal Social Services and Health Care Department’s social work services for families with children. To obtain this service, contact the Turku Municipal Social Services and Health Care Department’s Client Guidance and Application Processing Office.
Client Guidance and Application Processing Office
tel. (02) 262 5001, telephone advice service provided between 8:30–15:00.
Information desk, open on weekdays between 12:00–14:00, Linnankatu 23, 20100 Turku
Child Welfare
Sometimes the problem situations children and families find themselves in require the support of the child welfare authorities.
Child welfare may consist of supporting parents or helping to mend the child-parent relationship or, at its most extreme, substituting parents. The primary aim, however, is always that the child can grow and develop in their own home. When necessary, child welfare is under an obligation to act when the child’s interests demand an intervention, even if this is not what the client wants.
Contact the Emergency Social Services or your own social worker.
How to file a report with child welfare authorities in Turku
By letter:
Turku Emergency Social Services
PL 364
20101 Turku
Fax (02) 2626 130
By phone:
During office hours between 8:30–16:00 at the Turku Municipal Social Services and Health Care Department’s Emergency Social Services tel. (02) 2626 003.
Outside office hours, in cases that require immediate intervention, call the Emergency Response Centre on 112. The Emergency Response Centre will direct the report to the Emergency Social Services in the Turku area.
Who do I Contact if I Need Advice on Bringing up my Children?
The child upbringing and family counselling clinic provides guidance in issues concerning human relationships, family life and raising children. Parents can make an appointment with the child upbringing and family counselling clinic’s guidance and appointment service
The Child Upbringing and Family Counselling Clinic
Kurjenmäenkatu 6, building 31, 20700 Turku
Tel. (02) 2626 853 and (02) 2626 820, Mon - Fri between 12:00–13:00.
The Youth
The youth can find useful information, for example about housing, working, studying and leisure, on the web page nuortenturku.fi.
The City of Turku’s Youth Services Centre offers various activities to young people. For more information, go to the Info Bank’s section for young people.
Youth Services Centre
Puutarhakatu 14 A, 4th floor20100 Turku
tel. (02) 330 000
The Elderly
Where do I Find Information about Services for the Elderly?
The social workers within the Health Care for the Elderly advise clients and their relatives, for example in the following matters:
- when an elderly person can no longer manage at home, even when receiving help
- when information is needed on different options for places of care: sheltered homes, homes for the elderly and private nursing homes
- in other questions
Information about services for the elderly can be found on the City of Turku’s Social Services Centre web pages on Services for the Elderly.
City of Turku
Social Services and Health Care Department/Health Care for the Elderly
Kristiinankatu 1
20100 Turku
tel. (02) 262 6111
What are Services for People with Disabilities?
People with physical, mental or developmental disabilities are provided with instruments and services so that they can function as independently as possible.
The Turku Municipal Social Services and Health Care Department’s rehabilitation services offers special services for people with disabilities. Information about these can be found on the City of Turku’s pages on Services for People with Disabilities.
Office for Disability Services
Linnankatu 23
20100 Turku
(02) 262 6111 (telephone exchange)
Open Mon–Fri between 9:00–14:00
Appointments with social workers can be made and telephone advice service is provided between 9:00–10:00
What is Family Caregiver’s Support?
Family caregiver’s support is a grant and/or services which are defined in the care and service plan. It is intended to secure the in-home care or nursing of an aged, disabled or sick person.
In Turku the family caregiver’s support is applied for at the Social Services and Health Care Department’s Office for Disability Services.
Office for Disability Services
Linnankatu 23
20100 Turku
(02) 262 6111 (telephone exchange)
Open Mon–Fri between 9:00–14:00
Appointments with social workers can be made and telephone advice service is provided from 9:00–10:00
What to Do if There is Violence in the Family?
Do not tolerate domestic violence. Help is available in Turku both at shelters and Emergency Social Services.
Round-the-clock help is provided by the Turku Mother and Child Homes and Shelters (Turun Ensi- ja turvakoti).
Turku Mother and Child Homes and Shelters (Turku ensi- ja turvakoti ry)
Luolavuorentie 7 a
20810 Turku
tel. (02) 513 4100
Support and advice is also available at the Turku Municipal Social Services and Health Care Department’s Emergency Social Services.
Emergency Social Services:
on weekdays between 8:30–16:00 tel. (02) 262 6003
after 16:00 and on weekends, tel.112
(the number for the Emergency Response Centre)
The Turku region’s (Turku, Kaarina, Lieto, Paimio, Sauvo, Masku, Naantali, Nousiainen, Raisio, Rusko and Mynämäki) Emergency Social Services respond outside office hours and on weekends to urgent requirements for social work only. The Emergency Social Services of the Turku region can then only be contacted through the Emergency Response Centre’s number 112.
For more information about matters relating to violent situations, go to http://www.turvakoti.net.
Victim Support Finland’s Area Office in Turku also provides support and helps in legal matters.
HELP LINE 0203 16116
Nationwide Help Line in Finnish, Mon–Tue 13:00–21:00 and Wed–Fri 17:00–21:00. The service offers advice and guidance.
LEGAL ADVICE 0203 16117
Legal Advice is a help line where lawyers are on call Mon–Thu between 17:00–19:00. You can ask about your legal rights and receive guidance relating to them.
Area Office in Turku
Yliopistonkatu 24 B 28
20100 TURKU
tel. (02) 235 5055
Where to Get Help for Substance Abuse Problems?
You can get help for substance abuse problems from the Turku Municipal Social Services and Health Care Department’s Substance Abuse Services.
Social workers guide people with drug problems to make use of the substance abuse care services and participate in the selection of a possible treatment facility. Outpatient and therapeutic services are essential to people with drug abuse problems. When necessary, clients are referred to detoxification or withdrawal treatment.
Client Guidance
New clients make appointments to see a social worker at the Client Guidance and Application Processing Office, tel. (02) 2625 001, between 8:30–15:00.
Hostel services are available to homeless people with substance abuse problems.
Other service providers include, for example, the Turku A-Clinic.
Turku A-Clinic
Brahenkatu 12 a, 20100 Turkutel. (02) 2104400, fax (02) 2104444
opening hours
8:00–15:45 Mon, Wed–Fri
10:00–17:45 Tue (in the summer 8:00–15:45)