Reader’s Opinion | Before, services for families with children were taken for granted

Helsingin Sanomat in the editorial (23.11.) birth rate and, for example, the importance of family leave were discussed.

I have three children who are now young adults. When I once wanted children, family leave and daily allowance were more important things that I didn’t even have to think about. Even in the recession of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, they were self-evident, but they are not anymore.

My I didn’t have to think about whether the maternity clinic and the maternity hospital would protect my pregnancy and delivery, or whether my children would get to the clinic on time. My high-risk pregnancy and birth were handled safely and professionally. I don’t remember being scared at all.

“

Daycare was our family’s best safety net.

I also didn’t have to worry about whether my children’s daycare was safe, whether there were enough trained professionals, or whether the children received early childhood education at all. When I returned to working life, the children got daycare places, and the daycare was our family’s best safety net for years.

With the current ones it seems to be different for families with children. There is not necessarily a familiar health nurse at the maternity clinic, and early childhood education suffers from a serious staff shortage.

How has our society managed to break the services that have been our best assets?

The councils are now the responsibility of the welfare areas, so it is reasonable to hope that the situation will improve. Early childhood education is still the responsibility of municipalities. Extensive investments in personnel, their working conditions and children and families have not yet been made.

Riitta Hankonen

Helsinki

The reader’s opinions are speeches written by HS readers, which are selected and delivered by the HS editors. You can leave an opinion piece or familiarize yourself with the principles of writing at the address www.hs.fi/kiryotamielipidekeisuis/.