Distribution of the latest edition of the maternity package begins – more products now included
The maternity package now contains more products than before because the value of the maternity grant increased this year. Kela has started to distribute the package to customers.
The maternity grant is granted either in the form of a maternity package or a one-off payment of EUR 210. The annual edition of the maternity package changes at slightly different times each year. The next edition is introduced when stocks of the previous edition run out.
Maternity grant increased at the beginning of the year
As a rule, the contents of the maternity package do not change much from one year to the next. However, the maternity package now distributed contains more products than before, because the maternity grant has increased from EUR 170 to EUR 210. The increase in the maternity grant is linked with the Government’s objective to strengthen households’ confidence in the future.
“The maternity package we begin to distribute now will be even more useful for the new mother and the baby than before, because of the increase in the value of the maternity grant,” says Veera Petäjä, Kela specialist.
The maternity package is designed specifically for the needs of mothers and babies. The products included are selected on the basis of quality and safety criteria. Customer feedback also plays an important role in the planning of the maternity package.
“When your baby no longer needs the items in the maternity package, you can pass them on. It is important for Kela and for families that the products included in the maternity package can be used for a long time,” says Petäjä.
New in the maternity package: a ball and the pattern of the box
The maternity package now contains a ball. The ball is paid for by ‘Suomi liikkeelle’, a programme included in the Government Programme, whose aim is to encourage people to get more exercise. The soft and brightly coloured ball in the maternity package supports interaction between parents and their babies and provides an added incentive for families to do something fun together.
The box of the maternity package also doubles as a bed for the new baby and features a pattern which is new this year. The pattern has been designed by illustrator Eveliina Muotkavaara and it is called ‘Kuvitellaan tulevaa’ (Imagining the future).
“I wanted to create a pattern that expresses happiness and warmth at this new stage in the life of young families. The space-themed pattern in peach colours encourages dreams of the future when the child is growing up,” says Muotkavaara.