Breif Review of Child Welfare Act and Process in Child Welfare Services

Finland should be one of the most child-friendly countries in the world. Compared with China, I must say that I have never acquired such comprehensive children protection and children welfare system for Chinese children. 

In Flinland, the comprehensive children protection process is generally emplemented in this way: notice-assessment-investigation-service/care-after care.

In what situation Child Welfare Notification(s) should be submitted?

Two types of Child Welfare Notifications suit different stages and needs of children and their families in Finland.

The first one, Anticipatory Child Welfare Notification, concerns the potential harm and risk that not happen immediately to the children, but some signs indicate that the potential crisis will occur.  

For instance, a pregnant mother who frequently faces domestic violence. Although no harm has occured now, but the situation will affect the baby once born. In this situation, professionals must submit an Anticipatory Child Welfare Notification. Here, I would like to highlight that ONLY PROFESSIONALS HAVE LEGAL OBLIGATION to submit the Anticipatory Child Welfare Notification.

Secondly, the Child Welfare Notification, which focuses on imediate harm and risk happended to children now. Once you observe that a child is growing up in a harmful and dangerous environment or the children are in a dangerous situation, you should submit a Child Welfare Notification as soon as possible.

For instance, a neighbour found that the child who lives next door was often crying and screaming and sometimes standing outside of the house; the neighbor should submit a Child Welfare Notification as soon as possible.

Or, if a teacher noticed a child was in poor hygiene status for a while, the teacher need to make a Child Welfare Notification. Well, EVERY INDIVIDUALS HAVE DUTY AND RIGHTS TO SUBMIT CHILD WELFARE NOTIFICATION, BUT NOT REQUIRED.

Who or where should the NOTIFICATIONS be submitted?

Both Anticipatory Child Welfare Notification and Child Welfare Notification are submitted to the social services department.

Above is the first step of the Child Protection Process: Notification. Then, going into assessment. I focus on the Assessment about Child Welfare Notification, which results in three options:

1. No need for child welfare

2. Emergency placement of a child:

1) When a child who is in immediate danger or risk must be taken away from their home, such as: 

2) When circumstances at home or a lack of proper childcare rise an immediate danger to a child’s health or development;

3) When a child’s guardians are temporarily unable to look after the child and this poses an immediate danger to their health or development. 

An emergency placement can last for a maximum of 30 days.

3. Further Investigation of the need for child welfare or social welfare leads to 3 outcomes:

1) In need of services from Social Welfare: the child and family might need ssistance, there is no direct child protection concern, the case can be transferred to social welfare services.

2) No need for chlild welfare: no immediate risks or ongoing needs, so the case is closed with no further intervention.

3) In need of open care: the child or family requires more specific and ongoing support, they can become a client in open care.

1 & 3 above are belong to the fourth step: services or care.

4. Services and Care

1) Emergency placement: If the child's danger situation cannot be promoted in the short term, emergency placement will be extended to additional maximum of 30 days. (Children welfare)

2) Open care: If the child's wellbeing was ensecured for his family's risky factors, such as financial issues, no need for child protection, they might acquire support services within open care.(social services)

3) Substitute care: When emergency placement or open care fails to resolve the problems endangering the child's welfare, substitute care will be provided.

5. After Care

When a child welfare client ages 18 and his child's substitute care ends, he can receive support for the study, housing, finding work, social guidance, etc, from social services.

So far, a general process of  Finnish Child Welfare Services has done. 

China has the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors", which covers four major aspects: Family Protection, School Protection, Society Protection, and Judicial Protection. Yet, the content is empty and only makes baisic provisions on the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of  minors by various departments and institutions. It is not as specific and compassionate as Finland's "Child Welfare Act".