Kela releases 2024 edition of maternity package – quality and safety main criteria for products
The 2024 edition of the maternity package contains 39 products. This year, quality has once again been the most important criterion when procuring products. Kela will start distributing the 2024 edition when stocks of the 2023 edition run out.
Kela has released the 2024 edition of the maternity package. This year, the maternity package contains 39 products.
The aim of the maternity grant provided by Kela is to support the wellbeing of the parent and the child. Recipients of the maternity grant can choose between a maternity package and a tax-free cash benefit of EUR 170. Approximately two-thirds choose the maternity package.
“First-time parents usually choose the maternity package, while the cash benefit is often chosen by parents who already have small children and products from those children’s maternity packages or by parents whose friends or family have given them products from the earlier editions of the maternity package,” says Veera Petäjä, coordinator at Kela.
Parents can see the products included in the maternity package on Kela’s maternity package page and use that information to decide whether they want the maternity package or the cash benefit. Petäjä reminds that the clothes in the maternity package can be passed on to another family with a newborn when the baby grows out of them. Kela’s website also includes tips for extending the lifespan of the products in the maternity package.
Quality is the basis for the maternity package
While the range of items remains largely the same from year to year, the colours of the textiles and the number of products vary. As mentioned in the Government programme, the aim is to add a ball to the maternity package in 2026 at the earliest.
The products in the maternity package are selected via a yearly competitive tender process. Kela tests the products to ensure their quality and safety.
“It is important to us that the products are safe and durable. Zippers must not scratch the baby, and there must be no long pieces of loose threads, since they can wrap around the baby’s toes or fingers. Seams and snap buttons must be durable,” says Johanna Aholainen, lawyer at Kela.
In addition, the products in the maternity package should inspire shared moments. Aholainen mentions that the package contains a book intended to strengthen the interaction between the child and the parent.
The maternity package box is illustrated with animal families
The illustration of the maternity package is called Satumetsä (Fairytale Forest). It depicts familiar forest animals in their native environment in Finnish nature. The illustration was designed by the illustrator and graphic designer Heli Hyppönen. The illustration was chosen by a public vote.
“I am glad to see my illustration on this year’s maternity package. The illustration was inspired by different animal families roaming through Finnish nature at different times of the year. I hope that the rich illustrations and their warm atmosphere bring joy to every family,” Hyppönen says.
The Satumetsä illustration will also adorn next year’s maternity package.