Wellbeing of families is a resource for society – support for parenthood to be strengthened nationally

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Finnish National Agency for Education are launching work at the national level to strengthen parenthood. The Strength from Parenthood project brings parents’ point of view to the development of services and determines shared national principles for supporting parenthood.

“We want to highlight sufficiently good parenthood in the discussion and find ways to support parenthood both communally and in different services,” says Päivi Varonen, Project Manager at THL. 

In practice, the work is based on local pilots in family centres, early childhood education and care, and comprehensive schools. 

“Based on the pilots, we will compile tools and practices that support cooperation between health and social services professionals and education professionals and respond to the different situations of families,” says Varonen.  

The patron of the Strength from Parenthood project is Suzanne Innes-Stubb, the spouse of the President of Finland. 

A change is needed in the way we talk about parenthood 

The public debate on parenthood is often coloured by demands or blame, which affects the wellbeing and coping of families. In daily life, this may be visible in situations where contact with the parents is not established until there are concerns or problems, for example. 

“Positive speech and support do matter: they build trust and help families make decisions about their everyday life and future. At THL, we have identified strengthening young people’s faith in the future as a topical and central goal, and support for parenthood and families is one of the key elements in it. Parenthood is a resource that we must systematically strengthen as society,” says Mika Salminen, Director General THL. 

One of the goals of the project is to support all parents equally. It is possible to reach all parents in Finland through early childhood education and care, comprehensive schools and educational institutions in upper secondary education.

"Confidential cooperation between parents and professionals is also the foundation for the child’s learning and wellbeing,” emphasises Minna Kelhä, Director General of the Finnish National Agency for Education. 

“When the parents feel heard and appreciated, the preconditions for learning are also strengthened for children and young people. It is a question of finding solutions together. Support for the parents always supports the children as well. When we support parents in their upbringing work, trust in the power of education is strengthened among both the parents and the children and young people. " 

Support for parenthood needs clarification 

Support for parenthood in its current form is sporadic. Services and administrative branches look at parenthood from their own perspectives, and families often have to navigate through a complex and burdensome service system. 

It is necessary to create a nationally uniform view on what support for parenthood means in everyday life, services and societal structures, and this view should be shared by the different administrative branches. The services are now viewed from parents’ perspective. 

The project also takes into account the views of different generations as part of the whole. 

Vappu Taipale, who represents grandparents in the steering group of the project, emphasises that the voice of grandparents should be given a bigger role when discussing parenthood. 
“Grandparenthood is a resource that extends over generations. We have the time and the opportunity to support families with children in everyday life and pass on culture and experience,” she says. 

Cooperation between THL and the Finnish National Agency for Education supports the development of parenthood across sectoral boundaries 

The Strength from Parenthood project launched in November 2025 brings together health and social services, early childhood education and care, schools and organisations.  

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Finnish National Agency for Education begin the work together with the Wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland and the City of Turku. National organisations such as the Family Federation of Finland, the Finnish Parents’ League and the Martha Association, and the Wellbeing services county of Central Ostrobothnia are also involved.  

The lessons learnt from the first local pilots will be used in the subsequent phases of the project, which other wellbeing services counties, municipalities and organisations working with children and families will be invited to join. The project is co-financed by the European Union. 

Inquiries 

Päivi Varonen
Project Manager 
THL 
tel. + 358 29 524 7957
[email protected]

Sofia Hildén
Senior Adviser 
Finnish National Agency for Education
tel. + 358 29 533 1081
[email protected]

Strength from Parenthood project (Innokylä) (link in Finnish)