Welcome to the homepage of the Ombudsman for Children!

I am delighted that you are having an interest in children’s rights. I hope that you will find useful information on our homepage.

 

First of all, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Indrek Teder. It is a great honour for me to be the first Ombudsman for Children in Estonia.

 

My job is to protect the rights of children in their relations with the individuals and authorities that perform public functions. My task is also to ensure that all those who make decisions affecting children are guided by their best interests and take into account the opinions of children. I help to make the voices of children heard by decision-makers.

 

The homepage of the Ombudsman for Children will provide you with information about children’s rights and responsibilities. You will also find out what a parent’s rights and responsibilities are. It will describe what a violation of a child’s rights may consist of and how to contact me. It will provide information about the organisation of child protection system in Estonia and offer sources for further reading about children’s rights.

 

To do my work best, I need your help. If a person under the age of 18 has received poor or unfair treatment by an authority and, in your estimation, a violation of her or his rights may be involved, please advise the child to contact me or, in your capacity as the child’s parent or legal representative, contact me yourself. Also, as a grownup not involved yourself, you can inform me if you witness a potential violation of a child’s rights by an authority that performs public functions or if you see any problems with the organisation of our child protection system. I will endeavour to find solutions that are best for the child.

 

As children are not always capable of standing up for their rights and interests, they need help from us, the grownups. I hope very much that we will become good partners in protecting children’s rights. Together, let us think about how to make the lives of Estonia’s children better.

 

The work of the Ombudsman for Children is effective if a child and her or his rights are valued in Estonia and the State takes the protection of children’s rights seriously. As Ombudsman for Children, I feel a great responsibility.

 

Protecting children’s rights is the matter closest to my heart.

 

 

Indrek Teder,

Your Ombudsman for Children