The box can also be used as your baby’s first bed. Photograph: Jari Riihimäki/Kela
Next year’s maternity package was exceptionally revealed already on December 9 because the birth rate has increased about seven percent compared to 2020 during the pandemic. The birth rate going up, according to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), “has not happened for a very long time.”
Usually, the packages for the previous year have not run out until the spring, but in 2022 the edition of the package will change already at the beginning of the year.
Kela usually pays attention to the responsibility of the maternity package, and the year’s package is no exception, Kela noted in a statement.
Kela offers a maternity package to help the newborn child and the family. The Act on the Maternity Grant will next year become 85 years, and the act has a large symbolic significance in the Finnish welfare state.
Aholainen noted that “parents feel a lot of pressure and in European comparison Finnish parents also often experience fatigue.”
“Kela’s maternity package is one way to help families get started and be able to focus on the unique time with the baby. The package is very popular since roughly two-thirds of families still choose the package instead of a cash payment,” Aholainen said.
The 2022 edition of the package contains seven products less than this year’s edition: the emphasis has been on the quality of the products instead of on the price. There are a total of 43 products in the package with the focus on the choice of materials and high quality, not forgetting sustainability.
Versatility is key in the selection of products also this time. Two of the bodysuits have extenders so that they can be used for longer. Moreover, all the trousers in the package have foldable linings on the legs, which also means that the trousers can be used for longer.
“Durable materials, a harmonious range of colors and the possibility of combining different items help to improve the recycling of the products,” Kela noted.
According to Kela, one of the most popular items in the maternity package is the versatile snowsuit that can be changed into a sleeping bag for newborns.
Kela arranged a voting for the pattern of the snowsuit and the sleeping bag. The pattern chosen was the dark blue Moomin pattern, which received 59% of the votes.
The winning pattern for the sleeping bag that also functions as a quilt was the ringed seal pattern, with 56% of the votes. The pattern is black and white, and minimalistic. A total of more than 8,000 votes were given.
