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kirkkonummi

Family in Kirkkonummi

Marriage

In Finland, two adults (aged 18 or over) can be married. Same-sex people can also be married.

Before concluding a marriage, an examination of impediments to marriage must be carried out. This ensures that no impediments under Finnish law exist for the marriage. Such obstacles include minority, a valid marriage, or too close a family relationship. The examination of impediments must be requested from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency well in advance of the wedding date.

The couple must also notify the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of the surname or surnames they will use after the marriage ceremony. Both spouses can use the surname of either spouse, or the surname can be a combined name or a new, invented surname. The spouses can also keep their own names.

If both spouses are not members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the marriage will take place at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The nearest office is in Espoo (Miestentie 3 02150 Espoo ), but you can book an appointment in any of the service locations of Finnish Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The officiator can also perform the marriage ceremony at the event facility or at the couple’s home. https://dvv.fi/vihkiminen

Common-law relationship

In a common-law relationship, the spouses are cohabiting but are not married to each other. They may also have children together. The same laws on maintenance, surviving spouse’s pension or inheritance do not apply to cohabiting partners as to married spouses. When a child is born in a common-law relationship, the paternity must be acknowledged through a separate process.

More information on common-law relationships is available here: https://infofinland.fi/fi/family/common-law-relationship

Children

When a child is born, the information on the birth is sent directly from the hospital to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. You must report the child’s names, native language and other necessary information to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency using a separate form, which will be sent to your home.

Maternity and child health clinics take care of the health of the pregnant mother and her child after birth. At school age, the child is transferred to school health care. For more information on maternity and child health services, visit the Health in Kirkkonummi website.

Working parents have the right to family leave. The mother is entitled to maternity leave and the father to paternity leave. For more information on family leaves, visit the InfoFinland.fi website: https://infofinland.fi/fi/work-and-enterprise/employees-rights-and-obligations/family-leave

You can find more information about day care, school and the related application processes on the Education in Kirkkonummi website.

In addition to municipal day care and residents’ parks, you can also participate in activities aimed at families and organised by various organisations in Kirkkonummi:

Families with children are also supported financially in Finland. You can find out more about the subsidies here: https://infofinland.fi/fi/family/financial-support-for-families

Young people

Kirkkonummi has three youth facilities:

Youth facilities are places where young people and children from year 3 in basic education to 17 years of age can spend time, free of charge. The youth facilities are open for young people on weekday evenings. Some of the youth facilities are also open on Saturdays.

For more information on other activities aimed at young people, visit the Leisure time in Kirkkonummi website and the municipal website https://www.kirkkonummi.fi/nuoriso.

Older people

Kirkkonummi offers various services for the elderly. You can find out more on the website of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County https://www.luvn.fi/en/services/elderly or at the Senior Info.

If you are caring for an older family member who needs help at home, you may be entitled to support for informal care. For more information about informal care, contact the Senior Info service. seniori-info.ita@luvn.fi

Problems in the family

Problems with children and young people

If you want advice on parenthood or if there is something troubling you about pregnancy, your child’s well-being, parenthood, child development or behaviour, family situation or conflicts within the family, you can contact the Family Counselling Centre.

Register as a customer of the Family Counselling Centre of the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County by calling the helpline on Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 12:00 to 13:00 or Thursday from 9:00 to 10:00, tel. 040 126 9249. Reception services are available by appointment only. 

You can also discuss the problems of a child or young person at a child health clinic or with a school nurse and social worker.

Young people can also seek help either alone or with their parents from Ohjaamo or from outreach youth work in the municipality of Kirkkonummi https://www.kirkkonummi.fi/etsiva-nuorisotyo.

Problems with relationships

If you have problems with your spouse or cohabiting partner, you can look for help and support for solving the problems either alone or together with your partner.

You can request assistance for problems in your relationship or family through family mediation. You can book an appointment at the Family Counselling Centre by calling 040 1269 249. More detailed information on mediation and calling times can be found here: https://www.luvn.fi/en/services/family-centre/family-law-services/family-mediation.

The family negotiation centre in Kirkkonummi also offers help in matters related to relationships, family and personal life. Various therapeutic groups also meet at the family negotiation centre. Family counsellors and reception secretaries have an absolute duty of confidentiality. The services are free of charge. The centre provides assistance in Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian. You can use an interpreter to access services in other languages, but you have to pay the costs of the interpreter yourself.

The Familia Club’s Duo project provides relationship counselling for intercultural couples in Finnish and English. The counselling is subject to a fee. https://www.familiary.fi/neuvonta.html

Violence and threat of violence

Domestic and intimate partner violence can be physical (e.g. pushing, grabbing), psychological (e.g. name-calling, threatening, manipulation, isolation), financial and sexual. The victim of violence can be either of the spouses.

If a member of your family uses violence against you or other family members, or if you are afraid this may happen, contact the Adult Social Work helpline 029 151 6005 on working days from 8:00 to 15:00, and, at other times, the Social and Crisis Emergency Services 029 151 2221.

There are several shelters in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, where you can go together with your children if staying at home is impossible or dangerous due to fear, violence or the threat of violence. The shelters provide assistance in handling the situation.

You can find out more about the shelters at the Social Services Office. You can also call the shelter of Pääkaupungin turvakoti association 24 hours a day at 09 4777 180. You do not need to give your name when you call.

The contact information for women’s Shelter Mona can be found here: https://monikanaiset.fi/turvakoti-mona/

If you are a young person and have problems at home, you can contact the Youth Shelter of the Finnish Red Cross: turvatalo.espoo@redcross.fi

Child welfare

If you suspect that a child is at risk or in need of help, submit a child welfare notification. You can submit a child welfare notification either by calling the Emergency Social Welfare Services (working days from 8:00 to 15:00,  040 573 9193, at other times and in emergency situations, call the Social and Crisis Emergency Services, 029 151 2221) or submit a written child welfare notification to the Child Welfare Office (Kirkkonummi wellbeing centre, Jokiniityntie 2, 02400 Kirkkonummi).

After receiving the child welfare notification, the authorities will investigate whether there is a need for child protection. A child welfare notification can also be submitted anonymously.

The aim of child welfare is to support the family so that the need for child welfare is eliminated. Read more about the forms of support here: https://www.luvn.fi/en/services/family-centre/child-welfare and https://www.lastensuojelu.info/

Divorce

Either spouse can file a divorce application with the office of the District Court of Western Uusimaa in Espoo. You can apply for divorce alone even if your spouse does not want a divorce. You can send the application to the District Court Office by email (lansi-uusimaa.ko@oikeus.fi) or by post to Länsi-Uudenmaan käräjäoikeus, Vitikka 1 B 2).

More information on applying for divorce can be found here: https://infofinland.fi/family/divorce
and the situation of children in the event of divorce here: https://infofinland.fi/family/divorce/children-in-a-divorce.

When a loved one dies in Finland

If a loved one dies suddenly and you need support, you can get help from adult social work employees. You can call the Adult Social Work helpline 029 151 6005 on working days from 8:00 to 15:00. At other times, contact the Social and Crisis Emergency Services 029 151 2221.

You can also get help and support from the Finnish Red Cross and the Evangelical Lutheran parish of Kirkkonummi tel. 050 383 9371. You do not have to be a member of the church to get help from the parish.

If your loved one has suddenly died in a location other than a hospital, call the police immediately at 112.

For burial arrangements, contact a private funeral office that will help you with all the arrangements.

In Finland, the death of a loved one involves taking care of numerous practical matters, and various documents have to be submitted to a number of different places.

https://infofinland.fi/fi/family/when-a-close-family-member-dies-in-finland

Native Finns also often need expert assistance to cope with the statutory obligations related to the death of a loved one.

If your financial situation allows, you can contact any law firm. If your income is not sufficient, you can get free legal aid from the Länsi-Uusimaa Legal Aid Office. You can ask for advice or book an appointment from Mon–Fri from 8:00 to 16:15 at 029 566 1820. https://oikeus.fi/oikeusapu/fi/index.html#