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Child welfare after-care

Child protection after-care refers to support provided to a child and their family in a planned manner and as needed after a placement period. In the case of young people in the process of becoming independent, after-care may mean supporting their independent life in terms of housing, studying or working. The right to after-care arises when a child's placement ends or they have been in non-institutional placement continuously for at least six months.

During after-care, the child/young person gets appointed a social worker who will handle all matters related to them. An after-care client plan determines the child’s/young person’s support and service needs, which are assessed individually based on the specific needs of each child/young person.

If the client doesn’t need child welfare services for five years after the end of a placement period, their right to after-care ends.

After-care is optional. The right to after-care remains regardless of whether the client accepts the offered services or not, and it is possible to recover the right to after-care services (when less than 5 years have passed) by reporting the need for after-care in the wellbeing services county responsible for the after-care.

Do the following

Contact the social worker responsible for the child’s / young person’s matters.

Contact information

Select your municipality from the drop-down menu to see the appropriate contact details.

For whom / what terms

The right to after-care arises when a child has been taken into care and placed outside their home and the placement period has ended. The right to after-care also arises when a child has been placed outside their home alone as a non-institutional support measure continuously for at least 6 months.

According to the law, the wellbeing services county can, at its discretion, grant a young person who has been a client of child welfare services, the right to after-care, even if the above-mentioned conditions are not met.

The allocated social worker is responsible for assessing a child’s/young person’s service and support needs, as well as drawing up an after-care client plan.

Background and legislation

Child welfare aftercare supports children and young people after the end of their foster care or other child welfare measure, as well as their parents and foster parents. The right to aftercare lasts until the young person reaches the age of 23.

Young people in aftercare are supported in housing arrangements, financial matters and drawing up plans for studies, work and other aspects of life. The aftercare is carried out by a social worker.

As a rule, the wellbeing services county where the child’s or young person’s municipality of residence is located is responsible for arranging the aftercare. The cost of the aftercare is the responsibility of the wellbeing services county that was responsible for the costs of the foster care.

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