CHFMS25HKI Child welfare and Family work (5cr)

Evaluation scale

0-5

Objective

The students will be able to:
• know the relevant international conventions, and national policies and legislation related to child welfare and family work and apply this knowledge in practice
• know and understands different risk factors influencing the growth of children and young people in Finland
• understand the meaning of child welfare for the wellbeing of children and families
• know the main actors and services provided in child welfare, child protection and family work
• know different skills needed in child welfare, child protection and family work
• understand the diversity and challenges of families in current societies
• reflect personal values in relation to diverse families
• understand different definitions, theories and approaches used in family work
• use different empowering and participatory methods with children and families

Content

Contents:
• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Relevant national legislation related to child welfare, child protection and family work
• Risk factors affecting children and families
• Actors and services in child welfare and child protection in Finland
• Diversity of families
• Family work and different theories applied in family work
• Different actors and services in family work
• Empowering and participatory methods used in child welfare, child protection and family work

Location and time

Helsinki campus

Materials

- UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

- Child Welfare Act and Social Welfare Act

- Book co-authored by students (using book-tool in moodle)

- Connolly, M., Katz, I., Shlonsky, A. & Bromfield, L. (2014). Towards a Typology of Child Welfare Systems. Final report to Unicef and Save the Children UK.

-Timonen-Kallio, E. (2019). Professional Residential Child Care Practice. Empirical Investigations and Theoretical Conceptualizations as Social Pedagogy Informed Expertise. Dissertations in Social Sciences and Business Studies. University of Eastern Finland. (Chapters to be read: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6)

-Other literature will be confirmed at the beginning of the study module

Teaching methods

During the study module students will learn about child welfare and family work (according to both the social welfare act and the child welfare act) in Finland: legislation, serivce providers, services, working methods etc.

MODES OF LEARNING:
-Individual reading and quiz & discussion
-Lectures both on campus and online
-Study visit in small groups
-Group assignment: writing about the study visit using Book-tool in Diakle
-Exam
-Workshop on methods used in child welfare/family work

Employer connections

During the study module students will make a visit to one child welfare work environment. The visit will be organised by the teachers. The study visits will be reported using the book-tool in Diakle.

Exam schedules

- There will be an exam on 26.11.
If the student is not able to participate in the exam they will be able to participate in the Diak's re-exam days until the end of Spring term 2026.Find information about the re-exam dates on www.diak.fi.

-There will be a workshop about different tools used with children and parents on 27.11.

Completion alternatives

Alternative way of completing the study module is only possible upon specific circumstances/criteria (i.e. sickness etc.). Personal reasons such as travel and work are not considered as acceptable criteria.

Alternative way of completing the study module must be agreed with the responsible lecturer and/or study guidance counselor two weeks before the beginning of the study module.

In this study module the alternative way of completing the study module consists of an exam to be taken on any exam re-take day by the end of Spring 2026 + field visit and reflective report about it + 2 videos and reflective texts about the use of different tools used with children and parents. The literature for the exam will be decided with the teachers.

Student workload

The study module is 5 credits and it is divided as follows:

- Quiz about UNCRC, field visit + writing about the visit using book-tool 0,5 cr (13 hrs)
- Lectures, individual learning using lesson tool, workshop 2 cr (54 hrs)
- Reading for the exam and exam 2,5 cr (68 hrs)

1 cr = 27 hrs

Further information

It is possible to apply for AHOT/RPL with similar studies carried out in a Finnish University or a Finnish university of applied sciences or with an adequate work experience in the field of Finnish child welfare. Work experience must be shown with a written report.
Open to students studying in the open university of applied sciences.