I've spent the last few days helping shoot a short documentary/news clip about maternity packages Finnish government hands out to all expectant mothers, and I got to play about with them. (the URL is http://www.kela.fi/in/internet/english.nsf/NET/180408150632HS?OpenDocument)

The package is a sturdy box large enough to be used as a crib full of baby clothes, cloth diapers and a few tools and guides to help a new mother.

Chatting with the workers who assemble the kits, they said this idea is almost exclusive to Finland, which surprised me. Thought I'd share, as I think it's a pretty neat thing for a government to do. (A silent huzzah for paying proportionately more taxes than most).

The link is to last years model, as I'm not allowed to show any photos of this years model before it's published. I even had to sign a confidentiality agreement.

-jh