Lapset ja nuoret

"The sun is the gem of the sky; a child is the gem of a home."
(Chinese saying)

Subsidies and Allowances 

Various forms of support are available for families with children. Information on maternity allowance and maternity grant is available on the When You Are Pregnant page.

Once you stop receiving maternity grant, either the mother or the father can apply for parental allowance. More information is available on the Kela website.

If the father of a newborn baby participates in the care of the child while not being in paid employment, he is entitled to paternity allowance from Kela. More information is available on the Kela website.

Family allowance is paid for children who live in Finland until they turn 17. An application for family allowance is usually made in connection with maternity grant. More information is available on the Kela website.

Day Care

Children under school age are entitled to municipal day care. Day care is organised in day care centres, in family day care and in playgroups.

In addition to municipal day care centres, private kindergartens offer day care services. Some private kindergartens operate in a language other than Finnish. If a child under school age is in day care in a private kindergarten, financial support for the private care costs is available from Kela.

Children who are ill should not be taken into day care. See When a Child Falls Ill.

Day care services concentrate on the development of e.g. verbal skills of children.

A parent of a child of three years or under can take childcare leave and stay at home with the child. Home care allowance is available from Kela for this purpose. The Kela website contains information on these benefits and different forms of day care.

Bringing Up Children 

Ideas on how children should be brought up vary from one country to another. In Finland, physical disciplinary action on children, e.g. hitting a child or pulling by hair, is forbidden by law.

People who have turned 18 have legally come of age. People under 18 have limited rights to decide on certain matters by themselves.

The aim of Child Protection Work is to secure that all children can grow up in good conditions and to support the parents or a guardian in the upbringing of children. The support aims at enabling children and young people to grow and develop in their own homes. However, sometimes this is not possible. In these cases the objective is to guarantee the best possible care for the child outside home and support the parents in coping and managing their lives in order to be able to return the child back home as soon as possible.

Parents, neighbours and friends can contact child protection services, if they feel a child or a young person needs help. Children and young people can also contact a social worker themselves. Discussions with social workers are confidential.

Youth Activities 

The local and regional governments organise special services for young people. More information is available from the Finnish Youth Info House service. You can also search for information in your town on the Valtikka website. The website of the Finnish Youth Cooperation Allianssi has information on youth associations as well as other important information for young people. The website also has links to information on recreational activities.

Who is Who in Finnish Youth Work