The maternity package (, ), known internationally as the Finnish "baby box," is a kit granted by the Finnish social security institution Kela, to all expectant or adoptive parents who live in Finland or are covered by the Finnish social security system. The package contains children's clothes and other necessary items, such as nappies, bedding, cloth, gauze towels and child-care products. It was first issued in 1938 to parents with a low income, and contained a blanket, crib sheets, diapers, and fabric which parents could use to make clothing for the baby.
Since 1949 it has been given to all mothers-to-be, provided they visited a doctor or municipal pre-natal clinic before the end of their fourth month of pregnancy, and the pregnancy has lasted at least 154 days. The contents of the package are updated approximately every year. A mother may choose to take the maternity package, or a cash grant of 170 euros, but 95% of Finnish mothers choose the box because it's worth significantly more. Between 2006 and 2019, the total maternity grant program cost an average of 10.3 million euros per year, with 7 million being spent on maternity packages and 3.3 million given out as cash benefits or adoption grants. The maternity packages each year cost between 183 and 223 euros, averaging 190 euros each over the full 14-year period; an average of 37,000 are given out each year.
Following a BBC story in June 2013, the baby box began to receive international attention. Similar packages, commercial or state-sponsored, are being trialled around the world. Private companies have started selling packages purporting to be the "Finnish baby box" or similar to it, but the original boxes are not sold commercially.
History
The history of the Finnish maternity package begins at a time when Finnish maternal-infant mortality rates were remarkably elevated, even for the time period, with deaths being attributed to issues such as starvation, infection, poor sanitation, exposure to the harsh climate, and poverty.
In 1904, the “Drop of Milk Association” (Maitopisarayhdistys in Finnish) offered donated breastmilk to mothers who were not able to breastfeed their babies. To receive the donated breastmilk, mothers were required to bring their baby to regular medical check-ups.
In 1922, relatively soon after Finland gained independence in 1917, a volunteer of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (founded by Sophie Mannerheim, a prominent Finnish nurse) by the name of Mrs. Ilmi Hallstén conceived the idea for the baby box. Dr. Arvo Ylppö, an eminent Finnish pediatrician, obtained donated textiles from Germany. Local volunteers sewed baby clothes out of the donated textiles. These clothes were included with linens and hygiene items into "rotating baskets" (kiertokorit in Finnish) and were loaned to local mothers who needed them. After a baby grew out of the clothes, the baskets were returned to the volunteers, who repaired and laundered the contents, then passed them on to the next family.
One year later, 28 chapters of the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare were circulating similar rotating baskets. Five years later, over 180 chapters had sewing circles of volunteer women who were eager to support families in need across Finland. Meeting the need for baby clothing during the 1930's and wartime (1939-45) was a clear and tangible effort that was readily supported.
In 1937, the Maternity Grants Act was enacted, which provided mothers with baby clothes and care items. In 1938, the Finnish government began to provide "maternity grants" for low-income mothers in the form of either an in-kind goods "baby box" or an alternative cash benefit. As Finland had recently gained independence in 1917 and the Finnish government lacked monetary funds, providing a "baby box" with in-kind benefits as a possible alternative to cash benefits was practical. In addition, many Finns were in need and the grant in either form was intended to provide some compensation for wages lost during the time of childbirth.