Authors

• Central Union for Child Welfare

Keywords

child development, child poverty, child protection, children, families, parent responsibility, parental role, parents, social conflict, social inequality, social services

Abstract

The study surveyed Finnish opinions on issues related to families with children, inequality and support provided by the society. The study was commissioned by a coordination project of the Central Union for Child Welfare funded by the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations (STEA). The study was financed with the funds received from the former Finland's Slot Machine Association.

The respondents were first asked their views on the most significant reasons for poverty in families with children, harmfulness of different growth environments on child development (e.g. divorced parents, a parent with substance abuse problem, living in a foster family), and the most important aspects of good parenthood. Regarding support from the society, the respondents were asked which kinds of families with children the society should support (e.g. families with a disabled child, families where a parent uses a lot of alcohol, families that have come to Finland as refugees). A number of statements were presented about support from the society, social and health care system and child education. The respondents were also asked which kinds of families they would prefer to have as neighbours.

Opinions were charted on the measures of child protective services, such as whether it should be possible to take a child into care indefinitely (instead of temporarily) and whether involuntary adoption should be possible. Views were also surveyed on the rights of underaged asylum seekers and the use of experts by experience in social and health services. Regarding social conflict, the respondents were asked how united or divided Finland was as nation and how much tension there was between different groups (e.g. the left and the right, the wealthy and the needy, the rural and the urban population). Finally, the respondents were asked how much an increase and decrease of 250 euros to their income would affect their well-being.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, economic activity and education as well as household composition, ages of children living in the household, annual gross income of the household, municipality type, number of inhabitants in the municipality of residence, major region and region.