On this page

1. Programmes for vulnerable young people

2. Funding

3. Quality assurance

Programmes for vulnerable young people

As noted in Youth Wiki/Finland 4.1 General context, the Government issued a Government statement to Parliament on promoting equality, gender equality and non-discrimination in Finnish society (Valtioneuvoston tiedonanto yhdenvertaisuuden, tasa-arvon ja syrjimättömyyden edistämisestä suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa, in Finnish) published in 2023. Relevant programmes containing measures regarding vulnerable young people are presented below. 

A New Boost for Equality in Finland: Government action plan to combat racism and promote equality (2024) 

• A New Boost for Equality in Finland: Government action plan to combat racism and promote equality (Uutta vauhtia yhdenvertaisuuteen Suomessa: 
  Valtioneuvoston toimenpideohjelma rasismin torjumiseksi ja yhdenvertaisuuden edistämiseksi, in Finnish) was published in 2024. 
• The measures of the action plan are related to suicide prevention, equality in education, strengthening participation, consulting young people, and (social) media education. In the implementation of these measures, particular attention is paid to young people in vulnerable situations. 
• One key initiative targeting young people is the 2025 Programme for equity and non-discrimination in education and training. 
•  The action plan does not provide a comprehensive overview of how responsibilities are distributed between ministries and other actors in relation to vulnerable young people.
• No specific targets have been established for young people’s participation. In addition, comprehensive data on all national organisations involved in implementing the measures are not available. 
• It should be mentioned that the actions are implemented, for example, within the framework of the Government Programme (2024¬–2027), the National Youth Work and Youth Policy Programme (2024–2027), and the National Mental Health Strategy 2020–2030.
• For current initiatives related to the Programme, see YouthWiki/Finland 4.5 Initiatives promoting social inclusion and raising awareness.

Finland’s Structural Fund Programme (2021–2027) 

• Co-funded by the European Union, the STRUCTURALFUNDS.FI programme supports the inclusion of vulnerable young people through the special objective Equal inclusion – Development of services for children, young people and families and promotion of well-being towards equality (Lasten, nuorten ja perheiden palveluiden kehittäminen ja hyvinvoinnin edistäminen kohti yhdenvertaisuutta, in Finnish).  
• The special objective is implemented during the period 2021–2027. Its priority areas include:  
  •  Identifying and supporting vulnerable young people and families in everyday life.
  • Strengthening the competence of professionals in different fields working with children, young people and their parents, including the development of operating cultures and practices that promote healthy coping mechanisms and inclusion.
  • Supporting children, young people, and their parents to participate actively and on equal terms in cultural and sports services, as well as guided leisure activities. 
• In Finland, the Structural Funds Programme is coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Currently, no comprehensive data on participation trends or targets is available. 
   

Funding

The exact allocation of funding to the national programmes mentioned above has not yet been specified. According to STRUCTURALFUNDS.FI, the EU funding received by Finland from the ESF+ fund for the Structural Fund Programme 2021–2027 is approximately EUR 602 million. Including national public co-financing, a total of approximately EUR 1 billion will be available for projects. Of this amount, a total of EUR 23 million has been reserved for the implementation of the Government Programme (2024–2027), which prioritises the objective ‘Equal inclusion – Development of services for children, young people and families and promotion of well-being towards equality’, as set out in the Finland 2021–2027 – EU Regional and Structural Policy Programme (Uudistuva ja osaava Suomi 2021–2027 EU:n alue- ja rakennepolitiikan ohjelma, in Finnish).  

Quality assurance

It has not yet been specified which expert bodies will evaluate the impact of measures related to suicide prevention, equality in education, strengthening the participation and consultation of young people, and (social) media education. As many of these actions are linked to the Government Programme (2024–2027), the Prime Minister’s Office is also responsible for monitoring their implementation. According to STRUCTURALFUNDS.FI, a set of indicators and dedicated studies will be developed to support quality assurance and impact evaluation for all programmes funded through the Structural Funds.