Table 2 Themes and Subthemes

1. Caring for their child caused mental and physical exhaustion, which impacted the family’s financial situation negatively

1.1. The fatigue reduced a parent’s capacity to make money saving decisions

2. Working full-time and being a caregiver simultaneously was difficult, leading to a deterioration in a family’s financial situation

2.1. The fatigue made it more difficult to work or study

2.2. A parent’s time to work is limited due to their child’s care needs

2.3. Working life needs to be flexible for parents to be able to care for their child and work

2.4. Single parents experienced a larger financial burden when staying at home to care for their child

3. Participants found the application process for the state provided allowances as difficult and unjust

3.1. Information pertaining to allowances was not given through official channels and many parents did not have the resources to seek them out independently

3.2. The challenging application processes caused some parents to not apply for allowances even if in need

3.3. Parents felt that receiving allowances was unpredictable and lacked equity

4. While the social security support provided by the state was appreciated, the monetary amount was not enough for everyone

4.1. Finland’s social security system was seen as a privilege

4.2. The monetary amount of the allowance was perceived as ridiculous and the insufficiency led to some needing support from external sources