Everyday Life Under Financial Strain: What Policies Bring Hope?
A family’s financial situation shapes everyday life in countless ways. When money is tight, buying food, medicine and other essentials—or paying for children’s hobbies—is far from guaranteed. How can we ease this burden? What brings hope when resources are scarce? These questions guided the roundtable discussion organised by the Family Economy, Well-being and Everyday Life project in Tampere.
For many families, every purchases, such as food, medicine, and activities, require careful thought. Child poverty affects around 110,000 children, or about 10% of families. Even in Finland, some families struggle to put food on the table.
Many factors can lead to financial strain: illness, unemployment, low wages or changes in family circumstances. Something as common as parental separation can push a family into hardship. Without a financial buffer, even small changes can have critical effects.
Research shows that parents work hard to shield children from the effects of poverty, striving to maintain a normal everyday life. They cut back on their own needs, such as food and other essentials, to protect their children. However, constant struggle takes a toll, and resources ultimately run out.
Families need support in many forms, such as housing assistance, help during unemployment or illness and targeted aid for single parents. Finland’s social security system has historically reduced inequality effectively, but recent cuts have threatened this safety net. Preserving it is vital.
Blaming parents does not help. The causes of financial hardship are complex and often beyond an individual’s control.
Hope as a Perspective—and a Policy Goal
Hope is a driving force. It helps families keep going during difficult times, but how do we create hope? We do so by providing services that make hope possible. Social and health services, as well as schools, play a key role. Organisations also provide essential support for families and children. Services must be adapted to diverse and changing needs and be truly accessible.
Supporting parenting is central to sustaining hope. Conversations about money should be free from stigma and blame. Today, parents face enormous pressure and, often, judgment when financial problems arise. Because parents act as ‘filters’ when the family live in economic hardship, that is they filter the adverse outcomes of economic hardship, they need support in this role.
The discussion highlighted the need for low-threshold services, peer support and community. No one should face financial struggles alone. Community has untapped potential to foster hope.
Policy decisions shape family well-being every day. Benefit levels and eligibility criteria directly affect families’ lives. Recent cuts and stricter conditions have worsened hardships for many. Policy impacts are not isolated—they interact. Even small reforms can hit the same families hard. Hope grows when we consider these combined effects.
We need more research on family income and poverty. The existing data are fragmented, and long-term studies are rare. Systematic data collection is essential. We wonder if the welfare service counties in Finland take the lead in collecting this information?
We must also ask the following questions: How is research used in decision-making? Are the interacting effects of policies considered? Who produces knowledge, and whose voices are heard? Do families living in poverty influence policy? Are children and young people asked about their experiences? Hope-driven policy is long term and evidence based.
The ‘Hope-Producing Policies’ roundtable was held in Tampere on 6 June 2025 and funded by the Brita Maria Renlund Memorial Foundation. Twelve participants joined who represented organisations including the Pirkanmaa wellbeing region, the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (Tampere Branch), Save the Children Finland, the Guarantee Foundation, the University of Jyväskylä, Mental Health Relatives Pirkanmaa – FinFami ry, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and the Brita Maria Renlund Memorial Foundation. This blog summarises the key messages derived from the discussion, which were compiled by the project researchers and approved by the participants. Thank you to everyone who contributed!
Authors: Mia Tammelin, Katri Otonkorpi-Lehtoranta, Satu Pyöriä, Katja Repo and Ella Sihvonen
Project website: Family Economy, Well-being and Everyday Life