Finnish family centres provide support for coparenting from infancy to divorce and conflict situations

Family services play a key role in supporting parenthood, particularly in a context where efforts to increase birth rates are reinforced through financial incentives. Family centres assist parents in working collaboratively from the transition into parenthood, and they also provide support in situations involving conflict or divorce. According to a recent study by the University of Jyväskylä, the support provided by family centres is based on three key work practices that should be used more consistently in services.

According to a recent study by the University of Jyväskylä, the support provided by family centres is based on three key work practices that should be used more consistently in services. Photo: Mostphotos

Published

11.6.2026

Finnish family centres effectively and holistically help the adults in the family to work as a team in raising a child. In maternity and child health clinics, family work, child and family counselling and social work, professionals encourage parents to a fair and equal division of labour, mutual support and to be on the same page in upbringing.

The study, which examines the work practices of family service professionals, has been carried out in cooperation between the University of Jyväskylä, JAMK University of Applied Sciences and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

Three ways to support well-functioning coparenting

According to the study, professionals working with families use three key practices to support cooperation between adults in the family. These include involvement, building capacities and reconciliating conflicts.

During pregnancy and infancy, employees strengthen the equal participation and commitment of both parents to coparenting. As the child grows, the adults' capacities to act as coparents are supported by discussion, counselling and modelling interaction with the child.

If the relationship between the parents has escalated in a divorce or dispute, the employees will help to reconcile the rights and responsibilities of the parents with the best interests of the child in mind.

More systematic support is needed – with greater attention on fathers and child’s everyday networks

According to the researchers, these practices of involvement, building capacities and reconciliating conflicts should be used more systematically in services to support coparenting. Services should also pay special attention to those fathers who withdraw, remain passive or feel helpless as co-parents.

In addition, the services should identify other adults who are involved in the child's everyday life and care and ask about these adults’ wishes and views. Targeted support should be directed to families who are of particular concern and the child's rights to both parents should be safeguarded in the event of a divorce.

Service promise for families to support parenthood

According to the family centre's service promise, the family centre is involved in the family's life throughout the child's growth. The aim is to strengthen the family's resources, relationship and parenthood in cooperation with various experts. The research results of coparenting support are in line with this approach.

Supporting coparenting as part of family services for all is still new internationally, emphasizes Professor Anna Rönkä from the University of Jyväskylä, who led the study.

For example, the payment of monetary compensation at the birth of a child has been discussed in the public debate, which could be used to motivate young adults to start a family and thus prevent a decline in the birth rate.

"At the same time, cuts are being made to child and family counselling services. This erodes young adults' confidence that they will receive the support and help they need for parenting and co-parenting during the pregnancy, birth and growth years of a child," says Marjatta Kekkonen, who has worked as a Senior Researcher at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

"If the family received a service promise with the maternity package that the family and all its members would receive guidance and advice on the child's matters as needed, it could encourage those considering parenthood even more than a monetary gift," Rönkä says.

The data used in the study were collected as part of the CopaGloba research project funded by the Research Council of Finland, which has already ended. A total of 21 Finnish child and family professionals participated in the study. The study has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Family Process.

“This paper is an important contribution to understanding coparenting support practices in early family services in Finland. The findings not only fill a gap in the research but also provide valuable insights for reflection, extending beyond Finland to inform trainers and support professionals globally where coparenting is practiced,” says Professor Angela Abela, a coauthor from Child and Family Studies, from the University of Malta.

Article

Kekkonen, M., Abela, A., Böök, M., Moilanen, J., Malinen, K. & Rönkä, A. (2026). Ways of supporting coparenting in child and family services: Discourses of involvement, capacity Building and reconciliation. Family Process 65 (2) https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.70159