Services and legal protection: Where to find help

The Ombudsman for Children does not have the authority to resolve issues related to individual children or families, and the Ombudsman for Children cannot comment on such issues. On this website you can find the contact information of parties that offer support, as well as instructions related to services for families and children as well as their legal protection.

Patient Ombudsman

A Patient Ombudsman has been appointed for every public and private health care unit. The Patient Ombudsman is tasked with advising patients and offering information on the position and rights of patients. The Patient Ombudsman primarily helps patients to resolve their problem at the place of treatment. The Patient Ombudsman also helps with submitting an objection or filing a complaint or filing a notice of a patient injury with the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre.

The contact information of the Patient Ombudsman can be found on the website of the health care unit or by asking the unit directly.

Regional State Administrative Agencies

The Regional State Administrative (AVI)Agencies monitor public and private social welfare and health care, basic education as well as early childhood education and care in their regions. The Regional State Administrative Agencies are responsible for promoting the legal protection of pupils and students. Matters related to libraries as well as sports and youth services are also under their responsibility.

You can file a complaint (AVI) with the Regional State Administrative Agency if you consider the conduct or activities of the organisation or individual subject to the complaint to be illegal, incorrect or inappropriate. You can also file a complaint based on neglect. The Regional State Administrative Agency can transfer the complaint to the social welfare or health care unit to be processed first as an objection. Serious issues, such as suspicions of a serious error in professional activities, are processed directly by the Regional State Administrative Agency.

Contact information of the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI)
List of municipalities in the operating areas of the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVI)

Non-Discrimination Ombudsman

The Non-Discrimination Ombudsman (syrjinta.fi/en) is an independent authority tasked with promoting equality in Finland and responding to discrimination. The Office of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman offers guidance and helps in cases, in which a person has experienced discrimination.

If the person who has experienced discrimination cannot file a complaint or ask for advice themselves, you can also contact the Non-discrimination Ombudsman on behalf of another person. The Ombudsman can promote a reconciliation between the person who has experienced discrimination and the party guilty of discrimination. In addition, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman acts as the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings in Finland.

Contact information of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman (syrjinta.fi/en)

Parliamentary Ombudsman

You should contact the Parliamentary Ombudsman (oikeusasiamies.fi/en) if you suspect that an authority or a public official has broken the law or has not performed its duties. You can also contact the Parliamentary Ombudsman if you suspect that basic and human rights have not been realised as appropriately. The Parliamentary Ombudsman does not usually investigate complaints older than two years.

The website of the Parliamentary Ombudsman has instructions on how to file a complaint (oikeusasiamies.fi/en). You can also get advice for filing a complaint by calling the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman by telephone (switchboard of the Parliament, tel. 09 4321). The office does not give legal advice.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman also has a website for children and young people (oikeusasiamies.fi/en). The website has information on how to file a complaint as well as a form for the purpose.

Legal aid

Legal aid (oikeus.fi/en) means that a person living in Finland can get an attorney paid in full or in part by the state for managing a legal matter. Legal aid covers all legal matters. You may need a public legal aid attorney in issues related to taking a child into care and substitute care, or when a matter related to the custody, residence or maintenance of a child or right of access to a child needs to be instituted at a court of law, or if you are a party in such a matter.

Legal aid offered by public legal aid attorneys, advocates and other lawyers in matters related to a trial, as well as by public legal aid attorneys in other matters. Public legal aid attorneys work at the State Legal Aid Offices. The offices are usually found at the same place as District Courts.

Contact information of Legal Aid Offices (oikeus.fi/en)

Services by organisations for children, young people and parents

The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare offers the Nuortennetti (nuortennetti.fi) service (in Finnish) for children and young people free of charge. The Nuortennetti service operates by phone or letter or via chat. In the service, children and young people can ask questions or talk about anything that is on their minds anonymously or confidentially.

The number of the helpline for children and young people (nuortennetti.fi) is 116 111. The helpline is open on every day of the year. The calls are completely free of charge, and you can contact the helpline anonymously. The calls are not recorded.

The Mannerheim League also offers the Vanhempainnetti (mll.fi) service (in Finnish), a telephone, online and letter service for parents. You can contact the Vanhempainnetti service anonymously and confidentially about any issue related to parenting.

Väestöliitto, the Family Federation of Finland, offers services and support for children and parents. The services of Väestöliitto include

Nuorten nettisivut (vaestoliitto.fi) (in Finnish) – a website for young people with information about topics related to puberty, sexual wellbeing and relationships;

Hyvä kysymys (A Good Question) service (hyvakysymys.fi) – contact an adult via chat. The website also includes a group chat (hyvakysymys.fi);

Poikien Puhelin (Boys’ Phone) (hyvakysymys.fi) – a helpline service for boys and young men under 20;

Support for parents of young children (hyvakysymys.fi)

You can seek help from Victim Support Finland (riku.fi/en) if you have become a witness or victim of a crime or an attempt of a crime. Examples of offences targeted at children and young people include

assault (e.g. hitting)
defamation (e.g. spreading false information)
dissemination of information violating personal privacy (e.g. spreading private information)
rape (e.g. forcing someone into sexual intercourse)
sexual harassment (e.g. touching someone sexually)
criminal damage (e.g. destruction of property).

You can contact Victim Support by telephone or via chat.

Criminal procedure information for a young victim of crime (riku.fi/en)
A guide for parents: Children as victims of crime (riku.fi/en)

Sexpo’s Seksuaalineuvonta (sexpo.fi) guidance service offers advice either face to face, online or by telephone free of charge in issues related to sex, sexuality and relationships. The services are confidential, and you can contact them anonymously. The employees are trained experts in sexology.

The website apuaeroon.fi (in Finnish) of the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters is targeted at families, fathers and mothers considering or working on separation. The website has information on separation as well as a service search (apuaeroon.fi) that helps with finding suitable relationship, divorce or separation services in the area you live in.

Children and separation (apuaeroon.fi)
Young people and separation (apuaeroon.fi)
Kaksi kotia (Two Homes) application (apuaeroon.fi, in Finnish)