A Finland Fit for Children is the National Plan of Action that is based on the final
document, A World Fit for Children, adopted at the Special Session on Children of
the UN General Assembly in May 2002. The Plan of Action was prepared by the Finnish
National Committee on the Rights of the Child set up by the Ministry of Social
Affairs and Health in spring 2003. In it the National Committee highlights issues of
topical interest regarding the living conditions of children and families with children
in Finland.

The National Committee is of the opinion that Finland needs a comprehensive and
jointly agreed national child and family policy strategy for developing and monitoring
the wellbeing of children and families with children. Issues that should be taken up in it
are meeting the best interests and needs of the children, and securing adequate services
and economic resources for families.

The National Committee stresses that the child's best interests shall be taken into
account in society's all measures and decisions affecting children. Therefore they should
be assessed from the point of view of the child's best interests. The Committee has drawn
up a model for the assessment of child-related consequences of society's actions and
decisions, and recommends that it should be tried out and further developed.
The Committee underlines that child upbringing and providing for children's wellbeing
are the foremost responsibilities of the parents. Society must with its decisions
and actions clearly signal that it supports families in this task. Parents need the support
of the primary services for parenting and for their mutual relationship, and in particular
the communality provided by parents' peer groups. It is also important to provide
families with better opportunities for reconciling family and work.

In its recommendations the Committee further suggests that children's opportunities
for participation should be improved, the responsibility of the media regarding children's
safety should be increased, children's wellbeing should be monitored more effectively, the
awareness of the rights of the child should be promoted, and the children's point of view
should be taken into account in development co-operation as well.

The Plan of Action A Finland Fit for Children supplements with its recommendations
the content and implementation of the existing national plans and programmes
of action, such as the plan for early childhood education and care, the curriculum for
the comprehensive school, the guide and quality recommendations for school health
care, and the guide meant for staff working at the municipal child health clinics.

A Finland Fit for Children. The National Finnish Plan of Action called for by the Special
Session on Children of the UN General Assembly. Helsinki 2005, 72 pp.
Publications of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland, 2005:7
ISSN 1236-2050
ISBN 952-00-1711-9 (print)
ISBN 952-00-1712-7 (PDF)