Starting in early June, children in Finland will be on their summer vacation. This leaves working parents scrambling for ways to arrange childcare and activities to fill the two-month-long break from school.
According to the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL), the situation is unreasonable and shouldn't solely be the responsibility of individual families.
Small primary school children may spend long periods alone at home during the holidays, which is reflected in the organisation's helpline calls, according to Tatjana Pajamäki, the NGO's Head of Support Services.
"Parents are unreasonably burdened when they are juggling work responsibilities while also worrying about how their young ones are coping at home alone," she explains.
Summer care can be especially challenging for single-parent families or those who have children with special needs. Not everyone can adjust their work hours or work remotely, and some parents must work all summer. Additionally, not all families have equal social support networks.
"We should take a shared responsibility for primary school-aged children whose parent or parents are working. Many first graders are still too young to spend long periods alone. Safe daycare should be arranged for young primary school children," says Pajamäki.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) also recognises the problematic nature of the issue. The situation is unsustainable, against the child's best interests and highlights the inequality among families, according to THL's Chief Expert in child and youth issues, Päivi Lindberg.
"This should be brought into the societal discussion — we should consider in particular how we can support families who cannot afford, for example, paid camps. Although many municipalities have creatively considered solutions, it would be good to address this nationally as well," Lindberg said.
Yle asked parents how they arrange summer care for young schoolchildren when they are working.
Many respondents said they try to take turns with vacations and sometimes hire a babysitter. Grandparents help some families as much as possible. In June, many children participate in day camps, organised by municipalities, local organisations or churches, if they are available and affordable.
Most parents expressed hopes for more assistance in this situation.
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