Support families are ordinary families who volunteer their time, desire, and ability to support a child in need and their family. A support family can be a couple or an individual, with or without children. We can also coach a family in the child's network as a support family, excluding close relatives.
No special skills are required from the support family. Support families are trained in their task.
A support family can provide a child in need of special support with socialising and activities that support their growth and development. At the same time, support family activities provide the child's parents with a moment of rest.
The service is intended for children and families in need of special support (in accordance with the Social Welfare Act) or for customers of child support in situations where the parent is exhausted and the family does not have a large support network.
Support families do ordinary things on weekends, listening to the child's wishes. A support family could, for example, go outside, play or cook together.
Support family activities are systematic and goal-oriented. The need for a support family and the continuation of the support relationship are assessed at least once a year. Matching the support family to the child that needs support takes the child's needs as well as the support family's own wishes and capabilities into account.
As per the agreement, the child spends one weekend a month with the support family. Support families must live less than 150 kilometres away from Helsinki.
You can discuss applying for the service and its other criteria with the child's responsible social worker.
Want to be a support family?
Would you like to volunteer as a support family for a child from Helsinki? Contact us and we'll talk about it!
tukiperhe@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program)
tel. +358 9 310 43240(Link starts a phone call) and tel. +358 9 310 21576(Link starts a phone call)
