Child welfare

In this section, we look at addressing and promoting the rights of vulnerable children in the preparation of legislation. Children and young people have a statutory right to be included in societal decision-making. SILE focuses primarily on children and young people in foster care and child protection facilities. They are among the most vulnerable groups in our society, and greater attention needs to be paid to making their voices heard.

We research the following topics: the preparation of laws that relate to children and define childhood; the involvement of children and inclusion of their voice in the preparation of legislation; and the effects of legislative changes on the well-being of children.

The analyses focus on:

  1. the changes in child policy and the drafting of legislation on families with children;
  2. the special features of drafting legislation on child protection and custody;
  3. securing the voice and rights of children under child protection in the drafting of legislation;
  4. the impacts on child protection of the emergency legislation implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic;
  5. the impacts of legislative reforms on children in care.

We aim to develop research-based solutions and policy recommendations that address how to promote the inclusion of vulnerable children in law-making.

Professor Timo Harrikari leads this work package, and postdoctoral researcher Essi Julin takes part in this work package. Both members of this group are from the University of Helsinki. See Research Group for more detailed contact information.

More on this theme

Tiitinen, L., Harrikari, T., Saraniemi, S., Romakkaniemi, M., & Fiorentino, V. (2023) Home School at the Edge of Chaos During the Lockdown: Social Workers’ Perspectives. Children and Youth Services Review, 25 October 2023, 107250.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107250.

Saraniemi, S., Harrikari, T., Fiorentino, V., Romakkaniemi, M., Tiitinen, L., & Leppiaho, T. (2023). ‘I have built an office for myself in the sauna’ – The well-being of social workers in liminal space during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Social Work, 0(0).  https://doi.org/10.1177/00208728231186519

Romakkaniemi, M., Kivistö M., Harrikari T., Fiorentino V., Leppiaho T., & Hautala S. (2023) Emerging opportunities for relationship-based social work? Finnish social workers’ reflections on utilising digital environments during two phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, European Journal of Social Work, DOI: 10.1080/13691457.2023.2196374

Harrikari, T., Mooney, J., Adusumalli, M., McFadden, P., & Leppiaho, T. (Eds.). (2023). Social Work During COVID-19: Glocal Perspectives and Implications for the Future of Social Work (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003374374 

Fiorentino, V., Romakkaniemi, M., Harrikari, T., Saraniemi, S., & Tiitinen, L. (2022). Towards digitally mediated social work – the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on encountering clients in social work. Qualitative Social Work, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14733250221075603

Tiitinen, L. & Harrikari, T. (2022). Normaalin ja epänormaalin rajapinnoilla. Lapsuuden kategorioiden historiallisesta analyysista. Teoksessa Vehkalahti, K., Jouhki, E., Lipkin, S., Sitomaniemi-San, J., & Kuokkanen, T. (toim.), Matkaopas lapsuuden historian tutkimukseen: Monitieteisiä näkökulmia ja menetelmiä. (423-451). Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society. https://doi.org/10.21435/ht.288

Romakkaniemi, M., Harrikari, T., Hautala, S., Saraniemi, S., Fiorentino, V., Leppiaho, T. & Tiitinen, L. (2022) Sosiaalityöntekijöiden asemoituminen ja ammatillinen pääoma pandemian alkuvaiheessa. Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 87:5–6, 539–548.

Fiorentino, V., Romakkaniemi, M., Harrikari, T., Saraniemi, S., & Tiitinen, L. (2022). Towards digitally mediated social work – the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on encountering clients in social work. Qualitative Social Work, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/14733250221075603

Saraniemi, S., Harrikari, T., Fiorentino, V., Romakkaniemi, M., & Tiitinen, L. (2022). Silenced Coffee Rooms—The Changes in Social Capital within Social Workers’ Work Communities during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Challenges, 13(1), 8.  

Harrikari, Timo, Romakkaniemi, Marjo, Tiitinen Laura and Ovaskainen, Sanna (2021).  Pandemic and Social Work: Exploring Finnish Social Workers’ Experiences through a SWOT-analysis. British Journal of Social Work. 

Pollari, Pasi & Tiitinen, Laura & Sirtamo, Jukka & Saarinen, Laura (2021) Lasten ja nuorten kuuleminen lastensuojelulain muutosten valmistelussa – työryhmän raportti. Kansallinen lapsistrategia. 

Niskakoski, M. (2022) Pandemian vaikutus lastensuojelun asiakkaiden elämäntilanteisiin lastensuojelun ammattilaisten näkökulmasta. Maisterintutkielma, Lapin yliopisto.

Heikkilä Anne-Mari (2021) Läsnä etänä – dialogin mahdollisuudet ja rajoitukset sosiaalityön etäasiakastapaamisissa. Bachelor’s Thesis. University of Lapland.

Jokela Anna (2021) Kompleksiset tekijät huostaanottojen ja sijoitusten taustalla. Bachelor’s Thesis. University of Lapland.

Niskakoski Minna (2021) Lasten kaltoinkohtelu lastensuojelun sijaishuollossa ja siihen puuttuminen. Bachelor’s Thesis. University of Lapland.

Stenvall, E., Tiitinen, L., Saarinen, L., Pollari, P. & Sirtamo, J. (2021). Lasten kuulemisen käsikirja lainvalmistelijoille.  Valtioneuvoston kanslian julkaisuja 2021:6.

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