The Municipality of Kittilä is committed to supporting families with babies in a diverse range of ways – starting already during pregnancy.
Support for families with babies begins already during pregnancy: Perhekeskus, Perhejelppi, and the parish organise Baby Shower twice a year – in March and October. At the Baby Shower, families can play baby-related bingo, enjoy snacks, and discuss topics related to the early stages of family life in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. In addition, participants can make something to take home, such as a pacifier clip or a nursing necklace.
Perhejelppi is a free, low-threshold service for pregnant women and families with children under school age, provided by the Municipality of Kittilä. The service is primarily intended for families with children with a stay-at-home parent. Perhejelppi supports and guides families in different situations, such as caring for a crying baby, parental exhaustion, parenting challenges, difficulties managing daily life, serious illness of a family member, separation or divorce, and lack of support networks. Perhejelppi can be requested directly from the Perhejelppi workers. The service is available for three months at a time, once a week for three hours during office hours. According to families that have been Perhejelppi customers, the service has been experienced as very good and necessary. It has offered breathing space, personal time, and help with coping in daily life.
Families with babies also have their own meeting places where they can meet other families with infants, such as Vauvatreffit in Sirkka and Vauvakahvila in Kittilä. Families with babies are also welcome to other community gatherings, such as the Family Café, Family Meetups, and Activity Meetups. In addition, Kittilä hosts the annual national Baby’s Day event on the last Friday of September.
Kulttuurikattila, in cooperation with the municipality organises Kulttuurineuvola, which offers activities and inspiration for everyday life with a baby and serves as a networking channel for families. Kulttuurineuvola includes three different workshops: Likellä (for babies around 2 months old), Colour Bath (for babies around 6 months old) and Baby Circus (for babies around 10 months old). The activities support participation, community building, and well-being from an early stage.
The Municipality of Kittilä also grants baby allowance– a one-time allowance of €1,000 to the family of a newborn to celebrate the birth of a new resident. This year, baby money can be granted to babies born in 2025, and the application period is 1–31 March 2026. More information about the application process and criteria can be found in kittila.fi.
More information (in Finnish) about support for families with babies in Kittilä: https://kittila.fi/lapsiperheet
