Families

Parents are eligible for a variety of benefits from Kela as their children are born and grow up. Even before the child is born expecting mothers are entitled to a Maternity Grant, which can be provided either in the form of a cash benefit or a maternity package.

Parents are entitled to various parental leaves, during which mothers are paid a Maternity Allowance and fathers a Paternity Allowance. Parental Allowance is payable for either the mother or the father depending on which of them looks after their child.

Kela provides a monthly Child Benefit for each child under 17 years of age. Higher rates of Child Benefit apply for single parents.

To support the care of small children who are not in municipal day care, Kela provides Child Home Care and Private Day Care Allowances. You can be paid Child Home Care Allowance until the child turns 3 years, and Private Day Care Allowance until your child starts school.

Adoptive parents are eligible for nearly all of the same benefits as biological parents.

You must have lived in Finland for at least 180 days immediately before the calculated due date of your baby to qualify for Maternity, Paternity or Parental allowance. If you move to Finland from another EU/EEA country or from Switzerland, you will normally be able to count any periods of insurance completed there towards the Finnish residence requirements. For more information, go to Moving to or from Finland.