Bureaucracy: Lauri Lappalainen's journey through official channels after surrogate birth

Lauri Lappalainen, a 53-year-old single father in Finland, is navigating a bureaucratic maze after his child was born via surrogacy. His son, now just over a year old, was conceived using Lappalainen's sperm and eggs from an anonymous donor, with the embryo transferred to a surrogate mother's womb.

Despite being the sole provider for his son, relying on a partial disability pension and social assistance, Lappalainen faced a setback when his application for child maintenance support from Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, was rejected. Lappalainen describes himself as a full-time father, currently managing with limited income.

The reason for the denial, as explained by Kela, is that under Finnish law, the surrogate mother is legally recognized as the parent responsible for the child's maintenance. This ruling has left Lappalainen in a difficult position, highlighting the complex legal and social challenges surrounding surrogacy and parental rights in Finland.