Mannerheim League Häme to Lay Off All Seven Permanent Staff Amid STEA Funding Uncertainty

Mannerheim League's (MLL) Häme district will begin staged layoffs of all seven permanent employees by the end of the year. The district board decided on the personnel adjustments as state STEA grant levels for 2027 remain uncertain, YLE reported.

Director Päivi Meduri said the cuts extend to every one of the district's seven salaried staff, including herself. The first notices have been issued immediately and the rest will be phased out through December. No one is spared.

The district depends heavily on state STEA grants and has no financial buffer to cover salaries or severance if funding falls sharply. Core services for families and volunteers are at risk.

MLL's Häme district supports local associations across Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme and Pirkanmaa. It runs programmes such as the family godparent scheme, reading volunteer initiatives and student peer support. In 2025 nearly 10,000 volunteers enabled about 158,500 encounters with children, young people and families. Sari Orhanen, chair of the board, said the situation was unfair and that the organisation had already cut all possible administrative costs.

The board says the layoffs could be reversed if the funding picture clears. The final scale of operations will be decided once grant decisions are announced.

The move follows similar STEA-related staffing threats in the Tampere area, including Artteli's layoffs at the Amuri community house reported earlier and change negotiations at Kehitysvammaisten tukiliitto in August.