Society supports families

The aim of Finnish family policy is to create a safe environment for children to grow up in and to provide parents with the material and psychological means to have and raise children. Ultimately, this comes down to supporting parenthood and family unity. The family is an important basic social unit which provides its members with care deriving from stable human relationships. Society employs various forms of financial support and child care arrangements to even out the costs of children for families.

In recent years, men and women have been starting families at an increasingly higher age. For many, the problem lies in reconciling starting a family with studies or with entering working life. However, increasing demands for efficiency at work and greater uncertainty about job security also put added pressure on parents. Work-related stress, pressure of time and unemployment are all factors that make the lives of families with children more difficult. Reconciling paid employment and family life is one of the major challenges facing Finnish family policy.

Policy decisions on housing, the environment, education and employment also have their impact on the everyday lives of families with children. Hence, these political decisions are also part of family policy.

Finland's Family Policy. Helsinki 2006. 24 pp.
Brochures of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 2006:12eng
ISSN 1236-2123
ISBN 952-00-2148-5 (paperback), ISBN 952-00-2149-3 (PDF)