Child welfare services
Often the fear that a child will be taken away is associated with child welfare services. In reality, the services always try to help a child so that they can live in their own home with family.
Note
The wellbeing services counties started operating on 1 January 2023, when the responsibility for organising social welfare and healthcare services and rescue services was transferred from municipalities to the wellbeing services counties. There are 21 wellbeing services counties in Finland, and the City of Helsinki continues to provide these services as before.
The duties of the wellbeing services counties include:
- Primary healthcare
- Specialised healthcare
- Social services
- Services for children, young people and families
- Services for working-age people
- Mental health and substance abuse services
- Services for persons with disabilities
- Student welfare
- Rescue services
- Prehospital emergency medical services
Read next
Being a client of child welfare services
Non-institutional care is the first option
Substitute care
After-care
Legal remedies
Glossary
There are many concepts associated with child welfare. The glossary explains what the most important terms mean.