Government plan would shift 5,300 children out of child welfare

A government proposal would move about 5,300 children from open child welfare services to other social services, Yle reports. The social services trade union Talentia says the change would radically alter children’s position and could leave families without support.

The bill, submitted in September, would make child welfare a more narrowly targeted service. The government aims to save 100 million euros through the reforms and cut almost 900 jobs in regional wellbeing services.

Talentia says a proposed limit of 47 clients per social worker was removed from the bill after public consultation. The current limit of 30 would remain, but apply to a much smaller group of children.

Talentia specialist Kristiina Ruuskanen said the government was reducing child welfare even though the threshold for receiving help was already high. She said clients commonly face severe problems involving substance use or domestic violence.

A recent Talentia survey found that 92 per cent of 289 respondents expected to have less time to meet clients and assess their situations after the changes. Eighty-six per cent said workloads and staff turnover would increase. Most respondents worked in child welfare.

Ruuskanen said the changes would reduce preventive work and leave staff responding to crises. She also warned that making services dependent on available funding could worsen children’s situations and lead to more costly care orders.

The client limit was introduced in stages from 2022 to 2024, following public debate after the death of Vilja Eerika. The child had been mistreated for a long time, but authorities had not intervened despite several child welfare reports.

Social Affairs and Health Minister Wille Rydman was not available for comment to Yle. In an earlier parliamentary debate, he said the reform would improve children’s position by reducing unsuitable services and cutting bureaucracy. He said social workers could spend as much as half their working time on documentation.

Reija Klemetti, head of the ministry’s children and young people unit, said the proposed client limit was dropped because it could create queues and would be difficult to implement and regulate. She said the reform aims to base access to services on children’s and families’ needs for support and protection, rather than on the services available at the time.