Three Finnish parliamentary parties support abolishing the country’s current child home care allowance, according to a survey by the Uutissuomalainen news group.
The National Coalition Party (NCP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Greens favour ending the current system. The Centre Party, Left Alliance, Christian Democrats and Movement Now oppose its abolition.
The Finns Party parliamentary group has not taken a position on the issue, while the Swedish People’s Party (SPP) says it wants to reform rather than abolish the allowance.
Child home care allowance is available to families with a child under the age of three who does not attend municipal early childhood education. Finland’s Ministry of Finance proposed abolishing the benefit last week as part of a broader set of proposals for strengthening public finances.
Uutissuomalainen asked the chairs of the parliamentary groups whether the current form of the allowance should be abolished.
Parties propose different replacements
NCP parliamentary group chair Jukka Kopra said the party wants to extend earnings-related parental allowance, with the existing child home care allowance ending as part of the reform.
“We have proposed extending parental leave by 40 days, increasing the allowances and extending the period during which parents can take parental leave at the same time,” Kopra said.
He said the changes would allow parents to spend more time with a young child while making the return to working life smoother.
SDP parliamentary group chair Tytti Tuppurainen said further measures were needed to encourage parents to divide family leave more evenly.
According to Tuppurainen, the duration of the child home care allowance should first be restricted as part of a wider family leave reform before moving gradually towards its abolition. She also called for greater investment in early childhood education.
The Greens also favour replacing the present system.
Parliamentary group chair Oras Tynkkynen said the current allowance contributes to gender inequality in the labour market and negatively affects women’s earnings development.
The Greens have proposed replacing it with a flexible, income-linked care allowance that would be available regardless of who looks after the child. The party argues that its model would encourage parents to share caring responsibilities more evenly.
Centre and Christian Democrats oppose abolition
Centre Party parliamentary group chair Antti Kurvinen rejected the proposal to abolish the allowance.
“We do not support abolishing the child home care allowance. It must continue to be an option,” Kurvinen told Uutissuomalainen.
He said families should retain the freedom to decide how to arrange childcare.
Left Alliance parliamentary group chair Aino-Kaisa Pekonen also opposed abolition, warning that it could increase poverty among families with children. The party instead wants family leave to be reformed in a way that encourages caring responsibilities to be divided more evenly between genders.
SPP parliamentary group chair Otto Andersson said his party would retain the allowance but reform it as part of a broader overhaul of family leave. The aim, he said, should be to make it easier to combine work and family life, improve women’s career prospects and encourage fathers to take more family leave.
Christian Democratic parliamentary group chair Peter Östman said his party was firmly opposed to abolition. He argued that the allowance is an important part of families’ freedom of choice and said the state should not steer childcare decisions towards a single model.
Movement Now chair Harry Harkimo similarly said families should continue to be able to decide whether a young child is cared for at home or attends early childhood education.
Finns Party parliamentary group chair Jani Mäkelä said the group had not adopted a position and would set out its policies in due course. Speaking in a personal capacity, however, Mäkelä said he opposed measures that he believes could reduce the birth rate or restrict families’ freedom to choose how their children are cared for.