The Child Strategy follow-up report provides information for the new government
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The first follow-up report on the National Child Strategy was published in March 2023. The report includes a concise overview of the state of well-being of children, young people and families, as well as a description of the implementation of the strategy and the achievement of its objectives. The follow-up report also outlines the Child Strategy measures for the parliamentary term 2023–2027.
The Child Strategy, the implementation plan and the follow-up report form an entity
The National Child Strategy was prepared by a parliamentary committee and published in February 2021. It is based on the knowledge base of the situation of children, young people and families, as well as on Finland’s constitutional and human rights obligations. The Child Strategy is the basis for long-term and consistent efforts to implement children’s rights in Finland.
The Child Strategy has two levels. The Child Strategy is prepared in parliament and extends across government terms. Each government draws up an implementation plan for the Child Strategy for the duration of its term in office. The implementation plan is prepared by a cross-administrative committee and approved by the government. The implementation plan specifies in more detail which measures will promote the strategic policies during each government term. The two-level implementation supports the monitoring, continuous assessment and regular updating of the implementation of the strategy as required by the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The first implementation plan of the Child Strategy was approved in October 2021.
The follow-up report serves as a tool for evaluating the strategy and its implementation plan, and it links the Child Strategy policies between the governments. It also highlights the changes that have taken place in the well-being of children, young people and families. The follow-up report has been prepared in cooperation with various authorities and stakeholders, using all the information and knowledge obtained in the implementation of the Child Strategy.
The follow-up report describes the implementation of the strategy and proposes policies regarding measures
The preparation of the follow-up report started in early summer 2022, and the process has been commended for its transparency and openness. The process has been seen as collaborative and one that has appreciated stakeholders’ involvement.
The follow-up report examines the implementation of the 30 measures set out in the strategy’s implementation plan. The implementation of the measures has formed a key part of the implementation of the National Child Strategy under Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s government. The report also features the projects that applied the guidelines and principles of the Child Strategy and were not included in the implementation plan measures as such but were implemented as part of the implementation of the Child Strategy. It also describes cooperative activities with various authorities, stakeholders and other bodies in the implementation of the strategy, as well as communication and advocacy efforts.
The follow-up report closes with proposals for policies concerning the Child Strategy for the parliamentary term 2023–2027. The policies are based on the Child Strategy and its current implementation plan, the tasks of the Child Strategy committee defined by the Government, the key aspects raised in the Child Strategy working groups and the follow-up report workshops, and the observations made in their reports by those who implemented the strategy. The policies set out in the follow-up report will also serve as the basis for the preparation of the next implementation plan.
The proposals presented apply across different administrative areas and levels in the operations of the central government, municipalities and wellbeing services counties. They are cross-administrative entities that can be recorded in the Child Strategy implementation plan and implemented regardless of the content of the Government Programme and its policies.