Fudan-LSE Lecture Series No.70

Title: 

Balancing Demand and Provision in Public Services: Insights from Child Welfare

Speaker: 

Prof. Timo Toikko, University of Eastern Finland

Host: 

Prof. Yijia Jing, Fudan IGPP

Time: 

12:00-13:20, March 31st, Monday, 2025

Venue: 

Room 805E, 8th Floor, West Sub-building of Guanghua Towers

https://www.wjx.cn/vm/mUTtLbl.aspx#

The Speaker：

Professor Timo Toikko is the Head of the Department of Social Sciences and Professor of Social Work at the University of Eastern Finland. His research focuses on child welfare, social welfare systems, and the development of social welfare. He examines how social policies and services impact vulnerable populations and their access to welfare support.

Abstract:

The public sector struggles to balance demand and provision of services, with socio-economic differences driving regional disparities. Some areas have more resources, while others face shortages, leading to gaps where legal service expectations remain unmet, particularly in child welfare. As a result, citizens experience unequal access to services across different regions. From this perspective, citizen needs are shaped by socio-economic conditions and are more effectively addressed at the social policy level rather than individually. The interaction between service provision and socio-economic factors influences resource distribution, creating regional variations in access and availability. Understanding these systemic dynamics offers insight into gaps between demand and provision.