Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

Support services for disabled children

Raising a child with a disability can increase the burden of care for the family. In order to support the employment, study, and coping of a parent of a child with a severe and profound disability, the European Social Fund provided support services – childcare service, support person service, and transport service – to families in 2016–2022.
EL sotsiaalfondi logo

The ESF project for support services for children with disabilities ended on 31 December 2022. You can still apply for support person, childcare and social transport services from the local government of your place of residence.

The need for support services is assessed by the child protection or social worker of the municipality, who, when the need for services is identified, organises and ensures the provision of the service for the child in cooperation with the parents and service providers. The provision of support services is organised differently in municipalities and is governed by specific procedures, which can be found on the websites of the municipalities.

  1. The legal representative of the child applies to the local government of their place of residence, where the conditions of and procedure for receiving services organised by the local government (the state allocates funds to local governments for the provision of support services every year) and the possibilities of additional financing are explained to the parent.

  2. The local government assesses the need for the service individually for each child and notes the child in the case plan of the action plan. When assessing the need for the service, the child protection officer talks to the parent and assesses the need for the service with the help of a suitable assessment tool (for example, a child welfare handbook). In addition, they may ask the applicant for additional documents (rehabilitation plan, development plan prepared in an educational institution) and talk to network members who are important to the child.

  3. The local government makes a decision which is notified to the representative of the child and an agreement is concluded between the service provider, the legal representative of the child, and, if necessary, the local government, on the basis of which the child will receive the service(s).

Last updated: 29.12.2023

Was this page helpful??