Social benefits agency Kela on Tuesday revealed its revamped 2024 baby box. The free-of-charge package is a maternity allowance filled with baby essentials for the first year of a child's life.
Alternatively, moms-to-be can choose to receive 170 euros instead of the infant care items.
However, around two-thirds of expectant mothers in Finland choose the maternity package, with up to 95 percent of first-time mothers opting for the benefit.
"First-time mothers generally want to get the maternity package. On the other hand, those who already have small children and items from their previous baby boxes tend to opt for the money," said Kela's Veera Petäjä, who coordinated the selection process.
There's no major change in the new package compared to last year's iteration. While the 2024 box doesn't include a blanket, it does contain sanitary napkins, condoms, as well as lubricant, which were excluded from the package last year.
"We want parents to remember that it's possible to get pregnant again very soon after giving birth and that breastfeeding doesn't protect against a new pregnancy," Petäjä explained.
Boxes get updated every year with new themes and a slight variation of items.
Kela said clothing quality is a focal point in procurement. Some of the garments are designed for longer wear thanks to extension pieces and reversible cuffs and hems.
"We requested quotes for items that will grow with the child, meaning they are as long-lasting as possible," Petäjä said.
The agency tenders the baby box products annually. This year, the package also includes a little book aimed at strengthening baby-parent bonding.
Giving baby a toy ball — a proposal even laid out in the government programme — won't, however, happen until 2026, at the earliest.
Finland's new baby starter kit tradition began more than 80 years ago.
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