1. Introduction
Equal Childhood Association was founded in 2023 by Nina Aartokallio, Nina Melén and Annica Sandström. The association is bilingual and its registered municipality is Helsinki. Its area of operation is nationwide. Activities are intended to begin in autumn 2026.
The purpose of founding the association is to respond to the need for an organisation that works to prevent and reduce child poverty in families by strengthening children’s opportunities to enjoy cultural, hobby and recreational experiences, and by collecting and disseminating information on the subject.
The association develops operating models and solutions that strengthen equal opportunities for children and families with children facing financial hardship to participate in cultural, hobby and leisure activities.
The activities also include informational and advisory support for adults, such as guardians and staff, by collecting and providing information about hobbies, forms of support and relevant organisations.
Equal Childhood Association works closely with other organisations in the field and seeks to complement existing services and forms of activity.
The association aims to promote equal opportunities for every child living in Finland to have a meaningful and developmentally supportive childhood, regardless of their financial or social circumstances.
1.1 Need and background
Many organisations in Finland provide support for children and young people, including subsidised hobbies, camps and various forms of leisure support. Despite this, differences remain in children’s actual opportunities to participate in cultural and leisure activities, particularly because of financial, social and regional factors.
Information about available opportunities is often scattered and difficult to understand. This can make it harder for families and professionals to find the right support and activities.
At the same time, children’s right to play, leisure and cultural participation is a fundamental right under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Access to culture and meaningful leisure time is also clearly connected with children’s wellbeing, inclusion and mental health.
Activities already exist in the field, but they are often fragmented or limited to individual projects. Equal Childhood Association complements existing structures by:
- collecting and providing information about support and hobby opportunities;
- strengthening equal opportunities to participate in cultural and leisure activities;
- developing low-threshold operating models in which children can participate in experiential cultural activities;
- increasing awareness of the importance of culture and leisure for children’s wellbeing.
2. Child poverty in families with children in Finland
Child poverty continues to exist in Finland, where some children live in families with limited financial resources. This can affect children’s opportunities to participate in hobbies, culture and social activities.
Financial vulnerability may mean poorer access to hobbies and community life, which in turn can affect children’s wellbeing and participation in everyday life.
(Sources: Nordic Welfare Centre, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and national statistics on child poverty in families with children in Finland.)
3. Purpose and objectives
The purpose of the association is to prevent and reduce child poverty in families with children by promoting wellbeing through cultural, hobby and recreational experiences. The target group consists of children and young people under 18.
Our vision is an equal childhood. Every child and young person should have an equal, safe and meaningful childhood, as well as opportunities for culture, leisure and development.
The association aims to grow into a leading organisation in Finland promoting equal childhoods.
Objectives for 2026
The objective for 2026 is to begin activities initially in five bilingual municipalities, enabling realistic start-up, development and evaluation. The aim is to secure funding for the activities and to develop and test forms of activity that can later be expanded nationwide.
Additional objectives for the first year of operation are to:
- create key forms of activity, such as workshops, an information bank, a podcast and support services;
- build cooperation networks with municipalities and other key organisations;
- reach approximately 100–300 adults and, indirectly, 500–1,000 children.
In the initial phase, two people will carry out the activities. Their responsibilities include nationwide operations, cooperation, communications, fundraising and development. Feedback will be collected from the field in order to identify the concrete needs of children and families with children.
In 2026, the association will specifically:
- develop free workshops for early childhood education;
- launch a podcast;
- offer free cultural and leisure hobbies for children and young people.
The activities may later be expanded to include complementary forms of support, such as camps, material support and digital support channels.
In the long term, the association also seeks to contribute to producing information and evaluating the impact of its activities.
4. Forms of activity
The association fulfils its purpose by:
- organising courses, workshops and training sessions;
- organising competitions, performances, excursions, camps and other events;
- organising celebrations, concerts, exhibitions and other occasions;
- maintaining the association’s electronic communication channels;
- publishing the association’s notices and other communications;
- providing guidance and advice;
- participating in public discussion;
- collecting and sharing information and conducting research;
- bringing members together and cooperating with other organisations;
- acquiring materials and resources;
- seeking premises for its use;
- making initiatives to increase hobby opportunities;
- cooperating with authorities, organisations, companies and private individuals.
4.1 Key forms of activity in 2026
Workshops – “Kul-Tur”
Free workshops for early childhood education staff, intended to provide practical tools for creating sustainable children’s culture.
Sustainable children’s culture means creating cultural experiences in a way that is accessible to all children, can be implemented with limited resources, and provides tools that can be used and developed over the long term.
They include:
- simple cultural exercises;
- methods for creating experiences with limited resources;
- ready-made templates and materials.
Information bank and information gathering
A digital platform where the association compiles:
- information about organisations, forms of support and where families can seek help, including links;
- information about subsidised hobbies, camps and similar activities;
- information about free cultural and leisure activities;
- resource banks and pedagogical resources for early childhood education staff.
Podcast – “JiiBee – Equal Childhood”
Published approximately once or twice a month and covering topics such as:
- equality;
- children’s everyday lives;
- child poverty in families with children;
- practical solutions;
- children’s right to culture.
Support services
The association supports children and young people in participating in free cultural, hobby and leisure activities in the following ways:
Informational support: information about available hobbies, opportunities and forms of support.
Financial and practical support:
- the opportunity to apply for financial support to participate in hobby and leisure activities;
- support for purchasing equipment and materials related to activities;
- support is granted and administered by the association, where necessary in cooperation with the wellbeing services county.
5. Communications and advocacy
The public will be informed about the activities through newsletters, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, notices, feature posts, and articles in newspapers and magazines. We will also participate in seminars, conferences, discussions and other events.
The association’s website, jamlikbarndom.fi, communicates information about the association’s activities and serves as a key platform containing:
- information about how we work with cultural, hobby and recreational activities;
- an information bank on support and organisations;
- guides for families and professionals;
- information about events;
- podcast episodes.
The website will be updated continuously and developed in stages. Contact with members will be maintained through newsletters, email, post and telephone.
5.1 Newsletter
The association will send a regular newsletter containing:
- current information;
- practical tips for families;
- new resources and forms of support;
- information about the activities.
5.2 Fairs and events
The association will participate in fairs, seminars and events as an exhibitor and speaker. Advocacy work will be developed nationally and internationally by highlighting issues related to child poverty in families with children, equality, and children’s right to culture and leisure.
5.3 Cooperation
Equal Childhood Association cooperates with several organisations and participates in different networks. The association works closely with government and municipal actors.
Cooperation is especially important for:
- mapping forms of support and hobby activities;
- developing support services;
- enabling children’s opportunities to participate.
5.4 Fundraising
The association seeks to develop and improve fundraising in order to enable its activities, including the development of workshops, the information bank, the podcast and support services. The objective is sustainable, long-term funding.
6. Finances
The association will apply for funding from the Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations (STEA), other foundations and funds, and municipalities. Activities will also be supported by collections and fundraising.
6.1 Membership fee
The membership fee will be confirmed at the association’s autumn meeting. A fee of €100 is proposed for communities and organisations, and €20 for supporting members.
7. Organisation
7.1 Board of directors
The association is led by a regionally representative board that meets four to five times a year. The board appoints a working committee and an election committee.
7.2 Working committee
The working committee prepares matters for consideration by the board when necessary.
7.3 Election committee
The election committee prepares the elections for the autumn meeting.
7.4 Staff
During the initial phase, two people will work to launch the activities. Financial administration will be handled by an external accountant.
During the initial phase, Nina Aartokallio and Nina Melén will work for the association. They have extensive experience working with children and families, especially in early childhood education.
Prepared by: Nina Aartokallio, Helsinki, 11 April 2026