Case Finland: Why hasn’t a Nordic Welfare State been able to Protect Its Youth from Caregiving Responsibilities?

Abstract

Finland has never conducted an official count of its young carers despite having an advanced welfare system. As adult morbidity rises, so does the number of cases in which children care for their parents. However, the issue of young carers has received little attention in the fields of research and social and health policy. Although Finnish law recognizes how parental illness affects children's well-being, there are few policy measures in place to mitigate this effect. This article examines why public awareness regarding young carers remains low in Finland and why policy progress in this area has been slow.