Child Welfare
Child welfare is based on the Finnish Child Welfare Act (417/2007). Its task is to protect children’s rights to e.g. a safe and balanced growth environment, equal and well-rounded development, and special protection and care in accordance with their individual needs and wishes.
The focus in child welfare work is on improving growth environments, supporting parenthood, and implementing preventive efforts. The purpose is to support a family in the child’s own growth environment. If a child’s living conditions are endangered for any reason, the child must be guaranteed as good care as possible outside the home. Child welfare can be divided into preventive measures, open care support measures, and out-of-home care.
Description of the Service
A child’s parents and other custodians have main responsibility for the child’s wellbeing, upbringing, and care.
Authorities working with children and families support parents and custodians in their upbringing role and strive to offer families necessary and early help and, if necessary, refer children and families to child welfare services.
Child- and family-oriented child welfare encompasses the establishment of client plans and the implementation of open care support measures. It also includes emergency placement and taking a child into care as well as its connected out-of-home care and aftercare.
Open Care Support Measures in Child Welfare
Child- and family-oriented child welfare work is mainly carried out in open care. All children who are clients of child welfare services have a client plan detailing goals and support measures. The support measures are planned and evaluated as far as possible in cooperation with the child and family. Open care support measures include e.g. intensified family work and family rehabilitation. The measures are tailored according to the child’s needs.
Taking A Child into Care and its Connected Out-Of-Home Care
If open care support measures in child welfare are not sufficient or liable to protect a child’s right to a safe and balanced growth environment, the child has the right to be taken into care and placed into out-of-home care. Out-of-home care means that the child’s care and treatment will be arranged via a placement into family care or an institution. When a child is placed outside the home, placement within the family or relatives must be assessed. In the continued work with the child and family, the goal is to improve the whole family’s situation so that the child may return home.
Aftercare
When an out-of-home placement ends, a child or youth is often in need of special support and, therefore, has a right to aftercare. Aftercare is terminated when the individual reaches the age of 25 or when five years have passed since the child was last a client of child welfare services.
Useful forms
Address: Socialcentralen, Vörågatan 46, 65101 Vasa
Tiina Böling, social worker-in-charge, phone 040-745 2338
Phone time weekdays at 8 – 12 am, phone 06-325 2320
Address: Grundtrygghetsavdelningen, Vallinmäentie 43 (2.vån), 66400 Laihela
Masanen Jenni, social worker-in-charge, phone 040 4836 324
Rantala Elina, social worker, phone time weekdays at 10-11 am , phone. 040 4850 570
Address: Familje- och individomsorgen, Centrumvägen 4, Smedsby
Phone time: monday, tuesday & friday at 12–13, wednesday & thursday at 8.30–9.30 am
Pia Bäck, social worker monday – thursday, phone 06 327 7248
Madeleine Svanström, social worker tuesday – friday, phone 06 327 7234
Linda Nyström, social worker, phone 06 327 7226
Marie Björklund, social worker, phone 06 327 7233
Sofia Vikberg, social worker, phone 06 327 7232
Niklas Hästbacka, social worker, phone 06 3277239
Address: Socialkansliet, Öurvägen 31, 66800 Oravais
Phone time weekdays at 8-16, phone 050-4632770
Susanne Nygård, social worker, phone time weekdays at 9-10 am, phone +358 6 382 1 401
Address: Enheten för barnskydd, Malmska social- och hälsocentral
Kållbyvägen 7 / Bottenviksvägen 1, ingång H, våning 5
Pb 111, 68601 Jakobstad
Phone time weekdays at 8-16, phone 040 805 1726
Address: Socialkansliet, Malmgatan 5, 66100 Malax
Phone time weekdays 8.30–9.30.
Susanne Lindh, social worker, child protection officer, monday, wednesday & thursday, phone 06 218 7411
Susanne Amoako, social worker, weekdays, phone 06 218 7409
Address: Social- och familjetjänster, Närpesvägen 4, 64200 Närpes
Camilla Åstrand, social worker, phone 040-1600638
Carina Westberg, social worker, phone 0401600939
Åsa Källberg, social worker, phone 0504403207
Address: Lappfjärdsvägen 10, 64100 Kristinestad
Phone time weekdays 8-16, phone 040-1679715
Susanne Rounikko, social worker, weekdays 9.30-10.30, phone 040-4827719
Address: Slussgatan 11 A, 64260 Kaskö
Henna Kronlund, social worker, phone time weekdays 10.30-11.30, phone 045 1321 593