Benefits for families with children

When a child is born and growing up, the parents are entitled to various benefits from Kela, as well as to family leave (pdf) based on the Employment Contracts Act.

The benefits granted by Kela include

• maternity grant, which is either a maternity package or a cash benefit of 140 euros
• maternity allowance and special maternity allowance (until the child is about 3 months old)
• paternity allowance (after the child is born)
• parental allowance for the mother or father (when the baby is about 3 to 9 months old)
• child benefit (from birth until the child is 17 years of age)
• child home care allowance for a child under 3 years of age who is not in municipal day care
• private day care allowance for a child under school age and not in municipal day care
• child maintenance allowance for a child under 18 years of age
• various benefits when your child becomes ill
• adoption grant for international adoptions
• conscript's allowance for persons in military or non-military service and for their families. Those participating in reservist training and women in voluntary military service are also treated as conscripts.

Entitlement to benefits for families with children

To qualify for parental allowances, the parents must have lived in Finland for at least 180 days immediately before the baby's expected date of delivery. To receive parental allowances and other benefits for families, the parents must also be covered by the Finnish social security system. The insurance period can also include insurance period from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or Israel.

You may also be eligible for some of the family benefits when you move abroad. If you are moving to Finland or abroad, useful information is available in section Moving to or from Finland.

Other requirements for eligibility are stated separately with respect to each benefit.

Updated 04/04/13

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