Quality report of the OSF publication series

Maintenance and Custody of Children statistics

Relevance of statistical data

The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) annually collects data on confirmed child maintenance agreements, determination and establishment of paternity, and agreements on child custody. The statistics contain data on the number of maintenance agreements confirmed by Social Welfare Boards, the number of cases in the determination and establishment of paternity, and the number of agreements on child custody, right of access and residence of children confirmed by Social Welfare Boards during the year. The statistical data are available by region, municipality and group of municipalities and published in a Statistical Report (previously Statistical Summary).

The Statistical Report aims to provide up-to-date information on maintenance agreements, the number of cases in the determination and establishment of paternity, and the number of agreements on child custody to administrators, planning officials and researchers working in the area of child maintenance and custody and thus in need of this type of information.

The Report text explains the concepts and definitions used in the statistics.

The collection of data is based on the Act on the National Institute for Health and Welfare (668/2008), as well as on the Act on the Statistical Service of the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (409/2001). Provisions regarding the right to adopt are also given in the Act on Registered Partnerships (950/2001).

Description of methods used in statistical research
The statistics are based on a population consisting of all Finnish municipalities. A questionnaire sent to municipalities once a year is to be filled in with information on confirmed maintenance agreements, determination and establishment of paternity, and agreements on child custody and right of access. If a municipality fails to respond within due time, it will receive a reminder.

The statistics are not compiled until the necessary data have been obtained from all municipalities. The statistics almost invariably have a coverage of 100 per cent.

The position of the child is also regulated in the act on child maintenance (704/1975), the Child Custody and Right of Access Act (361/1983) and the Paternity Act (700/1975).

Correctness and accuracy of data
The data are correct insofar as the municipalities have reported them correctly. In unclear cases, the data are compared with the previous year's data from the municipality. If necessary, the municipality is asked to check the data it has submitted.

Timeliness and promptness of published data
THL compiles the Child Maintenance and Custody statistics annually. The statistics are published in May/June.

Accessibility and transparency/clarity of data
Statistical Reports are published on THL's website at: http://www.thl.fi/en/statistics/childmaintenance. The Report describes major findings and specifies concepts and definitions.

Comparability of statistical data
The data have been collected since 1993.

The collection of data for the 2009 statistics included requests for data on agreements on child custody and residence made between same-sex partners in a registered partnership.

The payment of and compilation of statistics on child maintenance allowance was transferred to Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) as of 1 April 2009. As of the 2009 statistics, the data included on maintenance allowance cover only maintenance agreements confirmed by a Social Welfare Board.

The 2008 data collection included a new question on dual residence.

As of 1999, data collection was reduced concerning the determination and establishment of paternity and the custody and right of access of the child.

Clarity and consistency
The data on maintenance agreements, child custody and determination and establishment of paternity in the Statistical Report are nationwide.


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