Työryhmä selvittämään lastensuojelun toimintakäytäntöjä
The Minister of Health and Social Services Maria Guzenina-Richardson has set up a working group to consider the effectiveness of the Child Welfare Act, child welfare practices and whether the relevant legislation needs to be amended. The working group aims to tackle a range of problems in social work with families and child welfare work, as well as to evaluate problems related to the application of the Child Welfare Act. The working group will formulate proposals for necessary measures on the basis of its work.
The working group is chaired by Social Director Aulikki Kananoja. Its other members are, i.a., Docent Matti Rimpelä, Secretary General of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare Mirjam Kalland, and an expert in child welfare by experience representing the Selviytyjät - survivors' group of the nationwide child welfare association Pesäpuu.
"There are substantial defects in the child welfare system - from under-resourcing to poor practices. There is much room for improvement in the flow of information between the relevant authorities. The working group I have set up is tasked to investigate thoroughly the field of social work and child welfare so that no child in need will be left without the help he or she needs due to deficiencies in the system," says Minister Guzenina-Richardson.
The working group is to complete its work by 31 March 2013. It should submit its progress report to the Minister of Health and Social Services by the end of November 2012.
More informationReijo Väärälä, Deputy Director-General, tel. 09 160 73773
Erkki Papunen, Special Adviser to the Minister, tel. 050 3122 332