Child welfare reports have increased in more than 40 percent of municipalities across Finland during the autumn compared to before the coronavirus epidemic, according to the results of a survey jointly conducted by National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Finnish Central Union for Child Welfare.
About one in three municipalities reported that the number of new children in need of protection, such as foster care placement, has also increased during this period. The largest number of new reports have been made by the police and schools, the study found.
Many of the municipalities surveyed said the coronavirus crisis was a factor in the increased number of child welfare and child protection reports, as issues such as family financial problems, children’s schooling and a decline in parents’ ability to cope with the pressures of family life were exacerbated by the effects of the epidemic.
The child welfare services of about 40 municipalities or associations of municipalities from different regions across the country responded to the survey.
Increased need for child protection placements
The number of children being placed in protective care has been on the rise in Finland for several years, so assessing the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on the situation is challenging, the Central Union for Child Welfare said in response to the results of the survey.
About 65 percent of the municipalities that responded to the survey said the epidemic will increase the need for investment in this area in the long run, while about 40 percent said that additional investment had already begun.
The study also found that communication between children placed in protective placements and their families had improved since last spring. At that time, almost all of the respondents saw the epidemic as causing more communication challenges, while in the autumn just one quarter of respondents said they experienced this.
In addition, 20 percent of respondents said cooperation between municipalities, organisations and private service providers had improved during the coronavirus period.