Children's prosperity and welfare

Integrating services is a strategic approach to meeting the needs of the child and the parents, with the child’s best interests at heart. This is done by establishing a partnership between the parents, the child and the parties that can contribute to the solution of the problem. All parties are responsible for their contribution.

Bodies that serve children

In the laws on the integration of services for the well-being of children, the parties working with children are categorized into two groups:

Providers of child welfare services are those who provide those services to the state or local authorities, or on their behalf.

• Examples of service providers are staff in preschools, primary schools, leisure homes, social centers, secondary schools, health care, specialized health services, police, social services and child protection services.

On the other hand, there is other organized work related to the well-being of children, called general services.

• Examples of providers of general services are self-employed professionals, and those working in sports, arts and youth activities, and NGOs and interest groups.

All of these bodies are obliged to monitor children's welfare and well-being, among other things, according to the laws on child welfare.

They can help parents to contact the contact point for child welfare. A request for information can be sent to the contact point or the case manager, meaning that the person has the right to inform the contact point for child welfare about the situation of the child and his/her wish for a conversation. The contact point does not have the right to contact anyone other than parents and/or the child once it has received the information.

Parents and/or children can also be instructed to contact the contact point for success.

Parents and/or child request integrated services before contacting the contact person who can help solve the problem.

Different needs of children

Children have different needs for support and services.

Examples of resources by service needs:

• Basic services accessible to all children; for example pregnancy checks, vaccinations, prevention and measures supporting positive schooling and services benefiting less well-off families.

• Early support for a child with a mild problem; for example, due to learning difficulties, behavioral problems or minor health problems.

• More specialized services and more targeted support if the previous resources are not sufficient; for example specialized departments or courses in schools, individual support, skills training and more.

• Support for complicated and multi-faceted problems; for example, long-term hospital stays of children and various accommodation measures based on the Child Protection Act.

For children with high service needs, the case manager of the Ministry of Welfare takes over the role of the contact point. The case manager is responsible for the preparation of a support plan and manages the support team that is established for the child in question.

Institutions connected to integrated services

The main tasks of institutions in integrating services under the Act on the Right of the Child are:

• It acts as an educational tool for those who provide services and for users of services. It lays down rules regarding the processing of personal data and collects general information on the policy area.

• supervises the service provided and processes complaints from users. The institution receives and processes complaints from users and suggestions for services for children.

• ensure regional consultation and appoint a case manager. The social services of the local authority concerned can provide information on the right contact point for the service to a child.

• Schools and healthcare institutions appoint employees who are contact points for integrated services for children in their care.

Complaints and suggestions regarding services for children

monitors the quality of services for children and receives:

• (from the user of the service)

• (from anyone)