Preventive child welfare

The key purpose of preventive child welfare is to support parenting. The CUCW promotes opportunities for preventive child welfare in all basic services offered to families with children, such as daycare, school, youth work, maternity clinics, child care clinics and the health care system in general.

The CUCW promotes and safeguards the growth, development and wellbeing of children and adolescents by lobbying the improvement of children's growing environment as well as the availability and quality of services for them.

The CUCW aims to achieve the following:

preventive child welfare and early support are available for both children and parents in basic services for families with children (such as maternity clinics, child care clinics, the health care system in general, early childhood education, school, youth work)
families with children have equal access to high-quality early childhood education services everywhere in the country
poverty among families with children is alleviated
a child can have a healthy childhood even if her parents are separated.

The CUCW:

monitors and contributes to the preparation of legislation related to preventive child welfare
participates in the work of the EAPN-Fin network combating poverty and social exclusion
monitors the work of the European Commission towards eradicating poverty among families with children, participating in the debate at the national and European levels
continues to develop services for divorced families with children at the Advice Centre
participates in the national development of preventive child welfare

International cooperation

The CUCW is a member of the Organisation Mondiale pour l’Education Préscolaire (OMEP), the world organisation for early childhood education.

Integrity of children

The CUCW promotes the integrity of children against any and all forms of abuse, whether corporal punishment, sexual abuse, physical assault or traditional customs that threaten a child’s health. Protecting children and adolescents from intoxicants is also an important goal.

The Central Union for Child Welfare:

organises publicity campaigns and training to increase public awareness
highlights shortcomings in current practices, legislation and agreements and corrects them
participates in various working groups promoting the integrity of children

The CUCW is:

a national coordination in the Children’s House, Children at Risk in the Baltic Sea Region network, which maintains a website and provides training for professionals regarding threats against children and how these can be prevented
a member of the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, which works to prevent abuse and neglect of children
the coordination network for Nordic studies on child victims

The work is being coordinated by the Preventive Child Welfare Advisory Board chaired by Pia Sundell Executive Director of the Swedish-speaking Barnavårdsföreningen i Finland [Finnish child welfare association].

Further information:

Hannu Seppänen, Advisor

Eliisa Jämsén, Advisor