Young Advisors
Children and young people are the advisers of the Ombudsman for Children, who meets with them to find out what they think. Six to ten meetings are held annually with groups of children of different backgrounds and living different lives.
Ombudsman for Children, FInland
It is the duty of the Ombudsman for Children to promote the realisation of the rights of children in Finland. The rights of the child apply to everyone under 18 years of age. Their purpose is to ensure that all children can lead good and happy lives.
Hearing the opinions of children and young people is very important to the work of the Ombudsman for Children. That is why Ombudsman for Children arrange meetings with children and young people. Ombudsman for Children then communicate the opinions of children and young people to other adults, such as the decision-makers who enact Finland's laws.
Six to ten meetings are held annually with groups of children of different backgrounds and living different lives. It is extremely important to give room to the children’s own views and opinions. Conversation can also be supported through functional and playful methods, such as group exercises, drawing assignments or use of pictures. The meetings are held in the children’s normal environment, such as early childhood education and care units, schools, youth centres and service units.
Young Advisers works on three levels:
- Themed Young Advisers meetings are individual meetings with groups of children, usually designed around a specific theme. As a rule, these themes are related to the Ombudsman for Children's strategic focus for the year.
- Young Advisers teams are groups of children whom the Ombudsman meets several times to discuss issues proposed by the children themselves. Many of the Young Advisers teams consist of vulnerable children.
Young Advisers visits are individual meetings with groups of children for discussing pressing issues.
In Finland, the duties of the Ombudsman for children include keeping in touch with children and young people and relaying information received from them to decision-making and relaying information on children to children, those working with children, authorities and the rest of the population.
