The number of child protection notifications has continued to increase even more strongly in the first half of the year.
The Päijät-Häme Welfare Region is stepping up its child protection work by creating six new posts in child family services.
Last November, the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland issued a warning for failure to meet the deadlines set by the Child Protection Act in Päijät-Häme.
According to the law, the assessment of service needs must be started no later than the seventh working day after the case is filed and must be completed within three months.
Last year, solutions for assessing the need for services were made within seven business days in approximately 94 percent of child protection cases. Slightly more than 80 percent of the service need assessments were completed within the three-month deadline.
The costs of recruiting new social workers this year are around 230,000 euros in terms of salary costs. Recruitments require more premises.
– The costs will then decrease in the future for remedial services. Maybe not immediately tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, but somewhere towards that, says Forsberg.
The number of child protection notifications continues to rise
Almost 6,500 child protection reports were made last year. The number increased by six percent compared to the previous year.
Now in January, 642 notifications were made. The increase was 54 percent compared to January 2022, when 416 notifications were made.
Based on findings from child protection notices, families’ situations have also become more difficult.