This news article explores how a new demographic study reveals that the likelihood of Finnish children experiencing out-of-home care at least once during childhood has doubled—rising to an estimated 6% in 2020, compared to about 3% in 1993—largely driven by an increase in residential care placements. Despite this trend, the average duration of care shortened from 4.2 years in the early 1990s to 3.5 years by 2020, and the probability of returning home by age 18 improved from 32% to 44%. The findings owe to more refined measurements that track children’s care trajectories—including care type, duration, and exit routes—offering a nuanced view of Finland’s child welfare system. Researchers note that this rise in placements is unusual and not mirrored in other Nordic countries, prompting calls for further investigation into underlying causes.