Get help and support for parenthood
As you have a family with children, you are entitled to and you have the possibility to receive support when there are financial worries or worries related to bringing up children, health or coping in your family.
Your family can get help and support from places such as
- child welfare clinic
- family counselling centre
- school health care
- home services proviced by your wellbeing services county
- family work services in your wellbeing service county
- peer support and support persons arranged by your wellbeing services county or non-governmental organisations.
Child welfare clinics attend to children under school age. You can contact the child health clinic of your county if you have questions related to the health and development of your child. The clinic will refer you to other services if they are necessary.
You can contact the family counselling centre in the following situations:
- you are concerned about your child's behaviour, development or about how your child copes socially
- you have a crisis in your family
- there are conflicts between the members of your family
- you are considering a divorce.
You can request home services from your wellbeing services county as a family if you need them because of illness, disability or a specific situation in life. A home services worker will help you with tasks related to household chores and care and attention, and the care and upbringing of the children.
If you need support with life management or organising matters, contact the social instructors in family work services in your wellbeing services county. You can seek support from family work services for any reason that worries you. You can get support for strengthening your parenthood and interaction skills within your family. The family worker can also solve matters related to the daily life at home and the care and upbringing of the children together with you.
You can receive peer support and meet other families with children who are in a similar situation through the wellbeing services county and organisations.
Your wellbeing services county can arrange a support person or a support family for your child. Organisations also provide voluntary support persons and other activities to help families with children.
You can apply to Kela for family benefits related to the birth of a child and caring for the child at home. More information about family benefits is available on the page Leave and benefits for the parents of small children.
You also can apply to Kela for general housing allowance and basic social assistance. Families with a low income may get a housing allowance for their housing expenses. Your family may get basic social assistance if the pay, benefits and resources in your family are not enough for living. If there is a sudden change in the life situation and even the basic social assistance that you apply for to Kela is not enough, you may receive preventive and supplementary social assistance from your wellbeing services county.
Different non-governmental organisations may also give financial assistance for other expenses to families with limited means, such as children’s hobbies or learning material.
If your family has limited means, you may also be able to go on a subsidised holiday. There are non-governmental organisations in Finland that organise holidays for persons and families with limited means. The person who goes on holiday only pays a small portion of their holiday expenses as well as the travel costs to and from their holiday destination.