Help and support for parenting

On this page

Contact first the service counselling!

Help is available for parenting challenges and family problems!

Service counselling is a first-stage low-threshold counselling – you will receive guidance to services that help your family the best.

The service counsellors provide advice and support in matters related to everyday life, such as housing and finances, situations of intimate partner and domestic violence, as well as support for the child's development and well-being.

You can reach the counsellors by filling in the contact request form. The form is in Finnish, but you can complete it in English.

Fill in Pyydä apua -form (Ask for Help)
Father with baby in his arms.

Services that can help your family

Social work for families with children

Social work for families with children helps when the life situation of your family is stressful. You can contact us when you need aid and advice in your everyday life in matters related to coping, housing and finances.

Social work also helps in situations of intimate partner and family violence, crisis situations, or support for children’s development and well-being.  

You can reach the social worker by phone or by filling Pyydä apua form (Ask for Help). Form is in Finnish, but you can complete it in English.

Contact information is available on the Finnish-language website. Please note that you must first choose the city or municipality where you live or study.
See instructions on how to translate the text into different languages.

Lapsiperheiden sosiaali- ja perhetyö (Social work for families)

Read more about social work for families in various languages on the Child Welfare Information website.

Home services for families with children

The Home help service for families with children provides early support for your family. Work is mainly carried out with your family at home.

Home help service employees provide you with assistance when you are in a challenging life situation. These may include, for example, difficulties related to the birth of a child and baby care, childcare, managing everyday routines at home, or assistance with running errands during visits with physicians and officials.

The service is subject to a fee.

Lapsiperheiden kotipalvelu (Home help service)

Family work

Family work is intended for all families of children under 18 years of age. Family work offers help when, for example, you need guidance and general assistance in

  • parenting and strengthening your own resources
  • improving the interaction between family members
  • agreeing on curfews and leisure arrangements for a child or teen
  • going to school
  • rules of the house
  • nepsy challenges

You can apply for family work through the Social work for families with children or the Child health clinic.

You can also contact us by phone. You can find the numbers on the Finnish-language website. See instructions on how to translate the text into different languages.

Perheohjaus Nopea (Family work)

Child supervisors

If you are getting a divorce, the parents should agree on the care, accommodation, right of access and subsistence of their minor children.

Making arrangements with a child supervisor is voluntary. The Child welfare supervisor assists the parents in drafting an agreement in the best interests of the child.

Child welfare supervisors may also deal with matters related to the clarification and acknowledgement of parenthood, if parenthood has not been recognised at the child health clinic before the birth of the child.

Contact information is available on the Finnish-language website. Please note that you must first choose the city or municipality where you live or study.
See instructions on how to translate the text into different languages.

Lastenvalvojat (child supervisors)

Child welfare

Non-institutional and substitute care

Child Welfare is the last-resort form of support for the child and the family, turned to when other services are insufficient.

In Child welfare open care, you can get support from a Child welfare social worker, intensified family work, or other open care services.

A child is placed in substitute care only if the open care measures do not meet the standards in the best interests of the child.

In Child welfare social work, a designated social worker is appointed for the child and family. If you are a client of the Child welfare services, you can contact your own employee. If you are a new client or do not have a social worker of your own, please contact the social services or the social worker for families with children in your area by phone.

Contact information is available on the Finnish-language website. Please note that you must first choose the city or municipality where you live or study.
See instructions on how to translate the text into different languages.

Lastensuojelun yhteystiedot (Child protection)

Child welfare emergency department and child welfare notification

The child welfare emergency department is helpful when the situation of the child, young person or family requires urgent advice or immediate intervention. Such situations may be related to, for example, violence, mental health problems, intoxicants, or suspicion that the care of a child has been neglected.

The Child welfare emergency department receives, e.g. child welfare notifications and handles urgent child welfare-related matters during office hours.

Anyone who notices that a child or young person is in need of help can contact the Child welfare On-call Service.

In urgent situations, always contact us by phone:

  • tel. 040 568 5520, Mon - Fri 9 - 15
  • outside office hours call the social and crisis emergency service, tel. 050 062 5990 (24/7)

More information on child welfare notification is on the Finnish-language website. See instructions on how to translate the text into different languages.

Lastensuojeluilmoitus (Child welfare notification) Information about child welfare in various languages (lastensuojelu.info)

Last modified 15.5.2025