Erityishuoltojärjestöjen liitto EHJÄ ry

What Erityishuoltojärjestöjen liitto EHJÄ ry does

Erityishuoltojärjestöjen liitto EHJÄ ry is a Finnish non-profit association (rekisteröity yhdistys) founded in 1983 and headquartered in Helsinki, operating as a national child welfare organization with seven regional offices across Helsinki, Järvenpää, Turku, Vaasa, Pietarsaari, Kokkola, and Pori. The organization delivers social welfare, child protection, disability, and integration services targeting children (aged 7+), youth, young adults, and families at risk of social exclusion, including child protection clients, foster care leavers in aftercare (jälkihuolto), and immigrant- or refugee-background youth and families. Its service portfolio comprises core professional services (professional support persons, supported housing, professional family work, aftercare, open support activities, supervised visits, home services) and specialized volunteer-based or project programs (Omilleen, Ressu-toiminta®, Kannustavat Kokemukset, Kuule Minua, Kumppanina koulupolulla, Kokemusta Rikkaammat), supplemented by training services and publications.

EHJÄ ry's technology base consists of specialized social work methodologies rather than software platforms; its proprietary assets are program-level, including the registered Ressu-toiminta® dog-assisted support model, expert-by-experience group methodologies, and supported housing models for unaccompanied minors refined since 1996. The business model is multi-stream and largely public-sector funded: primary revenue flows from STEA (Sosiaali- ja terveysjärjestöjen avustuskeskus) government grants, supplemented by service production fees from wellbeing services counties (hyvinvointialueet), member organization contributions, donations (via the Auttamisesta arkea platform), and training fees. End-client services are free to beneficiaries under statutory frameworks; the organization instead monetizes through government contracts, grants, and ancillary training. Governance rests with its six founding member organizations, with a board chaired in 2026 by Anu Pajula of Pelastakaa Lapset ry.

Name

Erityishuoltojärjestöjen liitto EHJÄ ry

Legal name

Erityishuoltojärjestöjen liitto EHJÄ ry

Website

https://ehja.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Erityishuoltojärjestöjen liitto EHJÄ ry is a Finnish national child welfare non-profit association founded in 1983, operating from 7 regional offices to deliver aftercare, supported housing, family work, and integration services to at-risk children, youth, and immigrant families, funded primarily through STEA government grants and welfare-region service contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Welfare Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

Keywords

• Child welfare services
• Youth aftercare support
• Family social work
• Immigrant integration support
• Volunteer support programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government funding (STEA): Primary funding from Sosiaali- ja terveysjärjestöjen avustuskeskus (STEA/Social and Health Organization Funding Center), formerly Raha-automaattiyhdistys (RAY). STEA provides project-based and operational grants for child protection, integration, and welfare activities.
2. Service fees from welfare regions: Revenue from service production agreements with wellbeing services counties (hyvinvointialueet). Services include supported housing, professional support persons, family work, and aftercare provided under social welfare and child protection laws.
3. Donations and fundraising: Donations collected through Auttamisesta arkea platform and direct donations. Also publishes guides and materials for sale.
4. Training services: Provides training for volunteer support persons and support families for municipalities and welfare regions. Training includes a 16-hour basic course for support person activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EHJÄ ry delivers child welfare and youth support services in Finland through a federation of six member organizations. Its offerings include professional support person activities, supported housing for young people (including unaccompanied minors since 1996), professional family work, aftercare (jälkihuolto), supervised and supported visits, home services for families with children, training for municipalities, open support activities, and trademarked programs such as Ressu-toiminta (dog-assisted support) and Omilleen-toiminta (voluntary support for foster-care leavers). Services are funded through STEA grants and contracts with wellbeing services counties under social welfare, child protection, disability services, and integration promotion legislation.

Product overview

Erityishuoltojärjestöjen liitto EHJÄ ry is a national child welfare organization founded in 1983, providing a portfolio of interconnected social services targeting children, young people, and families at risk of social exclusion. The organization's service offering consists of core service programs (professional support person activities, supported housing, professional family work, open support activities, aftercare services) supplemented by specialized volunteer-based programs (Omilleen voluntary support for foster care leavers, Ressu dog-assisted support, Kannustavat Kokemukset employment support, Kuule Minua expert by experience activities, and Kokemusta Rikkaammat expert group). Additional services include training programs, supervised visits, home services, and published guidance materials. The portfolio works as a coordinated system addressing different stages and needs—from prevention through aftercare—with funding primarily from STEA (Social and Health Organizations' Funding Centre).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Omilleen-toiminta: Voluntary support person activities for young people transitioning from foster care to independent living, serving the Helsinki metropolitan area and Uusimaa region.
• Ressu-toiminta
• Kannustavat Kokemukset
• Kuule minua -kokemusasiantuntijatoiminta
• Kumppanina koulupolulla
• Kokemusta Rikkaammat

Products and services

• Ammatillinen tukihenkilötoiminta (Professional Support Person Activities) Trained professionals who provide individual support to children, youth, and families in need, delivered in cooperation with municipal social services across Finland's seven regional offices.
• Nuorten tuettu asuminen (Supported Housing for Young People, including unaccompanied minors) Supported housing services for young people, with a specialized track for unaccompanied minors that has operated since 1996, delivered through cooperation with wellbeing services counties.
• Ammatillinen perhetyö (Professional Family Work) Professional, goal-oriented family work delivered in cooperation with municipal social services to support families facing challenges such as conflict, parenting difficulties, or post-crisis recovery.
• Koulutukset (Training Services for Municipalities and Organizations) Training services sold to municipalities and organizations covering volunteer support person activities, support family work, and related child welfare topics.
• Avoin tukitoiminta (Open Support Activities / Avoin EHJÄ) Low-threshold open support activities that complement the federation's contracted services, providing accessible support outside formal service agreements.
• Omilleen-toiminta (Voluntary Support Person Activities for Foster Care Leavers) Voluntary support person activities pairing young adults aging out of foster care with trained volunteer supporters to ease the transition to independent adulthood.
• Ressu-toiminta® (Dog-Assisted Support Person Activities) Trademarked program using trained dogs alongside support persons to provide therapeutic, animal-assisted support to children, youth, and families in child welfare contexts.
• Kannustavat Kokemukset (Encouraging Experiences) Program supporting immigrant youth to obtain work, internships, and integration into Finnish society through coaching and employer partnerships.
• Kuule Minua (Hear Me) Expert by Experience Activities Expert-by-experience activities enabling youth with lived experience of child protection, care, or refugee background to influence service development and provide peer support.
• Kumppanina koulupolulla (Partner on the School Path) Activity supporting immigrant families with school-age children through partnerships that help navigate the Finnish education system and strengthen school pathways.
• Kokemusta Rikkaammat (Richer by Experience) Expert by Experience Group Expert-by-experience group composed of youth with lived experience of child welfare services who participate in service development, peer support, and advocacy.
• Jälkihuolto (Aftercare Services) Aftercare services for young people aging out of child welfare placements, supporting their transition to independence through guidance, supported housing, and ongoing personal support.
• Valvotut ja tuetut tapaamiset (Supervised and Supported Visits) Supervised and supported child–parent visits delivered as a contracted service for families where visits require third-party oversight or support.
• Lapsiperheiden kotipalvelu (Home Services for Families with Children) Home-based practical support for families with children, helping with daily routines, childcare, and household tasks during periods of need.
• Julkaisut (Publications and Materials) Publications and materials on child welfare topics, including guides and books for professionals, families, and supporters, sold via the EHJÄ online store.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of guidance work clients felt they received help in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EUROMET (European Mettray Organisation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEHJÄ ry is a member of the EUROMET alliance board and participates in annual symposiums with European child welfare organizations. EUROMET is one of the most significant cooperation networks for organizations doing practical child welfare work in Europe. Member organizations from Finland, Estonia, Romania, Slovenia, Belgium, France, UK, and Poland participate.
• Lastensuojelun Keskusliitto (Central Association for Child Welfare)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEHJÄ ry is a member of the Central Association for Child Welfare. The association's child and family policy committee and child welfare committee include EHJÄ ry personnel.
• SOSTE (Suomen Sosiaali ja terveys ry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEHJÄ ry is a member of SOSTE, the Finnish Social and Health organization federation.
• Agria Eläinvakuutus (Agria Animal Insurance)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAgria Animal Insurance selected EHJÄ ry's Ressu-toiminta as the charity recipient for spring 2026 dog walk event. For each dog registered for the walk, Agria donates 1€ to Ressu-toiminta. Additional donations possible through purchase of dog scarves.
• Member organizations (Auta Lasta ry, Nuorten Ystävät ry, Perhekuntoutuskeskus Lauste ry, Barnavårdsföreningen i Finland rf, Pelastakaa Lapset ry, SOS-Lapsikylä ry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEHJÄ ry was founded by member organizations in 1983. These 6 national child welfare organizations are the founding members and produce child and youth care services. They collaborate on aftercare seminars, advocacy, and joint projects.
• Jälkihuoltoseminaari partners (Pelastakaa Lapset ry, Auta Lasta ry, SOS-Lapsikylä ry, Barnavårdsföreningen i Finland rf, Perhekuntoutuskeskus Lauste ry, Hoivatie Oy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual aftercare seminar organized jointly with 6 partner organizations. The seminar is a training and co-development event for child protection professionals.
• Varsinais-Suomen Lastensuojelujärjestöt ryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional child welfare organizations association in Southwest Finland.
• SOS-Lapsikylä rycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-coordinators of the support family (tukiperhe) round table since 2021, bringing together welfare region actors providing support family services. Includes support family service researchers and the Central Association for Child Welfare.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nuorten Ystävät ry: Founding member of EHJÄ ry providing youth welfare, supported housing, and aftercare services in Northern Finland. Comparable service portfolio targeting the same at-risk youth population.
• Helsinki Diakonissalaitos (Helsinki Deaconess Institute): Large Finnish social services NGO providing supported housing, immigration services, and youth support in Helsinki. Comparable as a multi-service welfare NGO serving overlapping populations including immigrants and at-risk youth.
• Perhekuntoutuskeskus Lauste ry: Founding member organization offering family rehabilitation and child welfare residential services. Comparable as a Finnish family-work and child-welfare service provider.
• Barnavårdsföreningen i Finland rf: Swedish-speaking Finnish child welfare organization and EHJÄ ry founding member, providing child protection and family support services. Directly comparable in mission and Swedish-language service delivery niche.
• SOS-Lapsikylä ry: Founding member of EHJÄ ry and one of Finland's largest child welfare organizations operating supported housing and family support services. Comparable in target population (children in care, families) and service model.
• Pelastakaa Lapset ry (Save the Children Finland): A founding member organization of EHJÄ ry providing national child welfare services including aftercare and child protection support. Directly comparable as a Finnish child welfare NGO delivering similar services to overlapping client populations.
• Auta Lasta ry: Founding member organization delivering child welfare services including support person and family work activities. Comparable as a Finnish child welfare service provider operating under similar legislative frameworks.

Broad incumbents

• SOS Children's Villages International: Global child welfare organization operating family-like care, youth transition programs, and family strengthening services across 130+ countries. Comparable in mission and core offerings but at vastly larger scale and geographic footprint.
• Save the Children International: Global child rights organization with national affiliates (including Pelastakaa Lapset ry) delivering child protection, education, and youth support. Comparable mission and service categories but operates at global scale with broader scope.

Regional players

• Nuorisoasuntosäätiö: Finnish foundation providing supported housing specifically for young people transitioning to independence. Comparable focus area (youth supported housing and independence) but operates primarily in the Helsinki capital region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ehjar
• Instagraminstagram.com/ehjakokkola
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ehja-ry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Erityishuoltojärjestöjen liitto EHJÄ ry