perheneuvottelun

Perheneuvottelu, or a family negotiation, is a structured meeting used in Finnish social services and child welfare processes to discuss a child’s well-being and the family’s situation. The purpose is to gather information, support the family, and create a joint plan that serves the child’s best interests. The process emphasizes cooperation and aims to identify practical measures and services to help the family and safeguard the child.

Participants typically include the child’s guardians (parents or other legal guardians), the child if appropriate, a social worker, and other professionals involved with the family (such as teachers, nurses, or therapists). In some cases a mediator or another supportive adult may participate. The meeting is convened by the social service authorities and is conducted in a respectful, non-adversarial manner. Confidentiality and data protection rules apply, and minutes or decisions are recorded in a perheneuvottelun pöytäkirja (the minutes of the family negotiation).

Outcomes of a perheneuvottelu usually take the form of a perheneuvottelusuunnitelma or equivalent plan, detailing agreed actions, responsibilities, and a timetable. These can include parent education, counseling, practical support services, changes in living arrangements, or school and social services involvement. The arrangement is designed to be revisable as circumstances change and to be followed up in subsequent meetings.

Legal basis for perheneuvottelut exists within Finnish child welfare and social services legislation. They are a voluntary, family-centered tool within the broader system of protecting and promoting the welfare of children, and they are not courtroom proceedings.