Key issues
- Budget cuts are made without impact assessment, increasing inequality.
- Children’s mental health is deteriorating.
- The child’s opinion is not always taken into account in proceedings.
Political and institutional developments
In today’s turbulent world full of crises, where Statistics Estonia’s news on the number of births shows a drastic quarterly decrease[1], the increasing inequality and the rise of number of children in need, ensuring rights of the child is more important than ever.
In 2024, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child[2] celebrated its 35th anniversary. It is positive, from the perspective of ensuring the rights of the child, that Estonia finally ratified the Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on Individual Communications for violations of the rights of the child (OPIC), which allows children or their representatives to appeal to the UN Committee once domestic remedies have been exhausted.[3]
In June 2024, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child submitted its Concluding Observations on the Combined Fifth to Seventh Periodic Reports of Estonia[4], reiterating its previous recommendation to Estonia to ensure full and consistent implementation of the Convention on all administrative levels, and emphasising the need for a comprehensive policy and strategy to ensure the rights of the child. The recommendations largely repeat or expand on observations made in 2017[5], emphasising the need to assess the impact of policies on the rights of the child, strengthen children’s participation, and improve access to education and health. At the same time, these areas have rather regressed during the reporting period, which we will take a look at in this chapter.
The Ministry of Education and Research continued with the transition to Estonian-language education, but the potential problems[6] referred to before the adoption of the law regarding teachers’ language skills and lack of methodological support have become a reality, and a decline in children’s motivation to learn has become apparent.[7] Cases of schools prohibiting children from communicating in their native language during recess, in violation of the rights of the child, are reprehensible.[8]
Time will tell whether the transfer of the closed childcare service to the Ministry of Social Affairs[9], and the transformation of the service will alleviate the problems related to inadequacy of services suitable for children with severe behavioural, mental and/or addiction disorders and serious dramatic experiences.[10]
The reporting period was characterised by tax changes and budget cuts that were implemented without an impact analysis, which increase inequality – affecting most of all single mothers, families with many children, people with disabilities and non-Estonians.[11] The realisation of the rights of the child is also negatively affected by the cuts to the Ministry of Social Affairs’ operational and targeted support[12], the reduced general education, youth[13] and language[14] budget, as well as extended deadlines for procedures.[15] The situation is also affected by budget cuts to extracurricular education, with funding for extracurricular education[16] and activities cut by as much as a third over the past five years[17], despite the fact that access to extracurricular education is limited in rural areas and for children from lower-income families.[18]
Legislative developments
It is positive that, as of 1 January 2025, an amendment to § 27 of the Child Protection Act[19] is in effect, which identifies specialists who are expected to exercise special diligence in noticing a child’s need for help, informing of this need, and passing on the necessary information.
Equal treatment of the child is supported by an amendment to the law[20] increasing the upper age limit for a disabled child from 16 years to 18 years as of February 2027; also the assessment of the capacity to work begins at 18 years of age. This will create more legal clarity, i.e. from then on, in the Child Protection Act, in the Social Benefits for Disabled Persons Act, and the Work Ability Allowance Act, a child is a person under the age of 18.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child emphasised that the 2023 and 2024 budget cuts in education and youth sectors have been made without impact assessment on the rights of the child, recommending that Estonia introduce an impact assessment on the right of the child in the budget and law-making processes.[21] The Equality Commissioner[22] also pointed out that draft acts concerning budget cuts and tax changes and their explanatory memorandums lack a detailed impact analysis on vulnerable groups, nor does it analyse their combined impact. School directors have expressed concern about raising the compulsory school age to 18 years as of 1 September 2025, without a sufficient analysis.[23]
Case law
The use of budgetary funds was also touched upon by the Tallinn Administrative Court in case 3-24-3203, where it noted that saving at the expense of the most vulnerable is wrong and in this case also in contradiction of the current law.[24]
A novel occurrence in the Estonian legal system was the filing of a complaint in June of 2024 by a school student Elo-Lee Maran together with the environmental protection movement Fridays for Future, in the Tallinn Administrative Court, which was based on the child’s right to a clean environment.[25]
In a dispute garnering a lot of public attention, in June of 2025 the Supreme Court[26] annulled the communication procedure approved by the Tallinn Circuit Court, emphasising that the court must hear a child who is able to express his or her views, whereas the purpose of hearing the child is to establish his or her will, explain the ongoing procedure to him or her, and to obtain information on the basis of which it would be possible to decide what the best interests of the child are.
Statistics and surveys
The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine led to an increase in universal vulnerability and a decline in subjective well-being. In order to generally reduce the vulnerability, we need interventions of proactive and preventative nature.[27] In 2024, the Child Helpline was contacted 18,690 times (an annual increase of 10%), including by 3625 children, most of them aged 14–17. The topics discussed were relationships (26%), mental health and well-being (24%), and abuse (12%).[28] The number of children in need is increasing: 3052 children needed support in 2020, in 2024 that figure was 3903, whereas the increase in 15–17 age group was 50%.[29] The children’s mental health survey[30] also shows that depression, anxiety, self-harm and eating disorders are significantly more common among the 15–17-year-olds than at a younger age. The self-harm trend is spreading among young people at an ever-increasing speed. Even though the mental health of children and young people is in a critical state, only 53% of schools in Estonia have a school psychologist. Schools, child protection support networks and child psychiatrists are overwhelmed. Despite the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, a separate child and youth suicide prevention plan has not been adopted.
Inequality in health and education is increasing. Estonian students have one of the lowest levels of intrinsic motivation to learn among the OECD countries, especially among girls and children of lower socio-economic backgrounds.[31] Access to good education is increasingly dependent on the socio-economic background of the parents[32], the educational divide is increasing[33] and culture-unaware approach may leave children belonging to minorities without attention in the classroom[34]. The accessibility of vocational education does not meet the needs of children with special needs, which jeopardizes their right to education that is appropriate to their abilities. The National Audit Office’s audit shows that due to lack of resources, 90% of vocational schools cannot handle provision of support services and measures, nor do they guarantee the students have access to services required by law.[35]
Studies show that in child protection procedures, the child’s opinion is not always asked and the need for help is not always sufficiently assessed.[36]
Promising and good practices
Estonia held the presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States from 1 July 2024 until 30 June 2025, leading the work of the expert group on Children at Risk (CBSS EG-CAR) through the Social Insurance Board (SKA), which focused on the involvement of children: how to do achieve that the opinion of children is not only heard but also taken into account. Compilation of the guide “Implementation of the child’s right to participate – a guide for meaningful involvement of children”[37] is a welcome sign in promoting children’s participation. More clarity on the child’s right to participate in relation to the child’s health is created by the joint guide of the advisers to the Chancellor of Justice and healthcare professionals – “Assessing the child-patient’s decision-making capacity in the provision of healthcare services”.[38]
The Social Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu session on 22 April 2025 where the children’s rights ambassadors of the Estonian Union for Child Welfare presented the children’s report submitted to the UN for the first time was a significant milestone.[39]
In October 2025 the city of Tallinn concept of a child- and family-friendly city 2025–2035[40] was approved to give the city a comprehensive framework and a unified direction for developing and supporting the well-being of children and families based on, among other things, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommendations for Estonia (2024).
Noteworthy public debates
Cutting benefits for families with children and reducing funding for extracurricular education led to an extensive public criticism.
An active public debate took place in relation to transparency of custody disputes, the hearing of a child and the role of public institutions, in particular the SKA and the courts in protecting the best interests of the child, with the Chancellor of Justice emphasising the importance of involving the child and the obligation of institutions to comply with Articles 3 and 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.[41]
The attention was on limiting the use of children’s mobile phones in schools, which created a public debate on the balance between the rights of the child, the educational environment and privacy.[42] The Chancellor of Justice emphasised that restrictions must be proportionate and must not breach children’s right to self-expression and communication.[43]
Trends and outlook
The period is characterised by a growing need for coherence between national policies and services, particularly in issues concerning children’s participation, mental health and educational environment. In comparison to the moderate optimism of the previous reporting period, this one has a more critical tone. It is a sad development that budget cuts are done without an impact analysis. The rights of the child are horizontal, but the shortcomings in cross-sectoral cooperation are ongoing. The author reiterates what was written in the Estonian Human Rights Centre’s annual report “Human Rights in Estonia 2014/2015” that children are people now and in the present whose rights are not guaranteed by just adopting laws; supporting activities and changing of the situation as a whole is also is also necessary (law in books →law in action).[44] Unfortunately, it must still be said that the words and deeds do not always match up. It is the children who bear the consequences, whose potential should not be lost, whose path to self-fulfilment should not be cut off along with the budget. There is no right or justification for this. Estonia has no time or space for short-sighted decision-making.
Case study
In December 2023, Viru County Court appointed the grandmother as the guardian of a child who was less than 10 years old, but in September 2024 the SKA stopped paying child support, claiming that there was no right to compensation. A similar instance of not getting child support in 2024 affected 79 more children whose parents were deceased or denied custody. Following the opinion of the Chancellor of Justice and the decision of the Tallinn Administrative Court, the SKA declared more than half of the decisions erroneous. Nearly 100,000 euros were returned, but the case highlighted a systemic shortcoming in ensuring the rights of the child in continuity of support services.
Recommendations
- Establish a mechanism for impact analysis of the rights of the child in the legislative and budgetary process.
- Improve children’s participation in decisions affecting them by establishing guidelines for hearing children in all proceedings.
- Ensure all children accessible and consistent mental health support at educational and community levels, improve prevention.
[1] Statistikaamet. 2025. 1 369 995 inimest: Eesti rahvaarv pöördus langusesse, 23.04.2025.
[2] Riigi Teataja. 1996. Lapse õiguste konventsioon. 1996, 16, 56
[3] Riigikogu. 2025. Riigikogu toetas laste õigusi laiendava ÜRO protokolliga ühinemist, 22.01.2025.
[4] Committee on the Rights of the Child. 2024. Concluding observations on the combined fifth to seventh periodic reports of Estonia, 18.06.2024.
[5] ÜRO Lapse Õiguste Komitee. 2017. Lõppjäreldused Eesti teise kuni neljanda perioodilise aruande kohta, 08.03.2017.
[6] Lastekaitse Liit. 2022. Arvamus põhikooli- ja gümnaasiumiseaduse ning teiste seaduste muutmise seaduse (eestikeelsele õppele üleminek) eelnõule 722 SE, 04.11.2022.
[7] ERR. 2025. Eestikeelsele õppele üle läinud laste suur mure on õpimotivatsioon, 13.07.2025.
[8] ERR. 2024. Vahetunnis võõrast keelt kasutanud lapsed on pidanud selle pärast vabandama, 21.11.2024.
[9] Riigi Teataja. 2024. Volitus AS-ile Hoolekandeteenused kinnise lasteasutuse teenuse osutamiseks, 27.02.2024.
[10] RAKE. 2024. Politseitöös kasutatavate alaealistele õigusrikkujatele suunatud mittekaristuslike sekkumiste teaduspõhisuse ja rakendamise tulemuslikkuse analüüs.
[11] Mõttekoda Praxis. 2025. Analüüs riiklike maksutõusude ja eelarvekärbete mõjust haavatavas olukorras sihtrühmadele.
[12] ERR. 2024. Riik kärbib enesetappude ja sõltuvusprobleemide ennetamiseks mõeldud raha, 30.09.2024.
[13] Eesti Noorteühenduste Liit. 2025. Noortevaldkonna avalik pöördumine.
[14] Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium. 2024. Kristina Kallas: riigieelarve üks prioriteete on eestikeelsele haridusele ülemineku reform, 25.09.2024.
[15] Sotsiaalministeerium 2024. Vanemahüvitise ja tervishoiu rahastamise seadusemuudatuste arutelu jätkub Riigikogus, 26.09.2024.
[16] ERR. 2024. Valitsus kärbib huvihariduselt kümnendiku ehk miljon eurot, 18.09.2024.
[17] Kindisko, E. 2024. Noortevaldkonna kärpe tõttu on tulevikus oodata kasvavaid kulusid teistes valdkondades, 30.12.2024.
[18] Arenguseire Keskus. 2025. Huvihariduse kättesaadavus Eestis. Lühiraport.
[19] Riigikogu. 2024. Lastekaitseseaduse ja teiste seaduste muutmise seadus 427 SE.
[20] Riigikogu. 2025. Puuetega inimeste sotsiaaltoetuste seaduse muutmise ja sellega seonduvalt teiste seaduste muutmise seadus 561 SE.
[21] Ibid. 4
[22] Soolise võrdõiguslikkuse ja võrdse kohtlemise volinik. 2025. Võrdõiguslikkus Eestis 2024. Soolise võrdõiguslikkuse ja võrdse kohtlemise voliniku aastaraamat.
[23] Lina, M. Virumaa Teataja. 2025. Uued kohustused on teel nii õpilastele, õpetajatele kui ka lastevanematele, 26.09.2024.
[24] Riigi Teataja. 2025. Tallinna Halduskohtu 28.02.2025. kohtuotsus haldusasjas nr 3-24-3203, 28.02.2025.
[25] Karnau, A. Postimees. 2024. Elo-Lee Maran: lapsel on õigus puhtale keskkonnale, 12.12.2024.
[26] Riigikohus. 2025. Riigikohtu tsiviilkolleegiumi 18.06.2025 määrus nr 2-22-2138, 18.06.2025.
[27] Kutsar, Dagmar; Beilmann, Mai; Nahkur, Oliver (Ed.) (2024). Child Vulnerability and Vulnerable Subjectivity from Interdisciplinary and Comparative Perspectives. (1−287). Springer.
[28] Sotsiaalkindlustusamet. 2025. Sotsiaalkindlustusameti aastaraamat 2024.
[29] Statistikaamet. 2025. Statistika andmebaas: SK033: Abivajavad lapsed.
[30] Eesti laste vaimse tervise uuringu konsortsium. 2024. Eesti laste vaimse tervise uuring. Tartu, Tallinn: Tartu Ülikool, Tervise Arengu Instituut, Turuuuringute AS.
[31] Saks, K., Leijen, Ä. 2025. Milline on motivatsiooni ja õpistrateegiate roll õpiedu saavutamisel?
[32] ERR. 2025. Inimgeograaf: Eesti koolisüsteemi hiilib hariduslik ebavõrdsus, 24.10.2024.
[33] ERR.2025. Eneli Kindsiko: Eesti üldhariduses on järjest selgemini näha hariduslõhe, 06.09.2025.
[34] Vanahans, M. 2025. Intercultural Competence for Teaching Newly Arrived Migrant Students From the Perspective of Preschool and Primary School Teachers and Leaders. Doktoritöö. Tallinna Ülikool
[35] Riigikontroll. 2025. Haridusliku erivajadusega noorte kutseõpingute ja töölesiirdumise toetamine, 19.05.2025.
[36] Sotsiaalkindlustusamet. 2025. Sotsiaalkindlustusameti 2024. aasta järelevalve tegevusaruanne.
[37] Lastekaitse Liit. 2025. Lapse osalusõiguse rakendamine: juhend laste tähenduslikuks kaasamiseks.
[38] Õiguskantsler. 2024. Lapspatsiendi kaalutlusvõime hindamine tervishoiuteenuse osutamisel.Juhend tervishoiutöötajale.
[39] Mõttus, R.-L. 2025. Laste hääl kõlas Riigikogus: Lastekaitse Liidu lapse õiguste saadikud esitlesid oma raportit, 22.04.2025.
[40] Tallinna Linnavalitsus. 2025. Tallinna laste- ja peresõbraliku linna kontseptsioon 2025-2035, 14.10.2025.
[41] Saarniit, A. Postimees. 2024. Õiguskantsler ütles skandaalses lapse hooldusõiguse juhtumis sõna sekka, 25.11.2024.
[42] Postimees. 2024. Teadlased ja lapsevanemad: Avalik kiri nutiseadmekasutuse reguleerimiseks koolis, 24.09.2024.
[43] Õiguskantsler. 2025. Nutiseadmete kasutamine koolis, 23.01.2025.
[44] ERR. 2025. Suhteline vaesus mullu vähenes, kuid üksikvanemate olukord läks halvemaks, 06.11.2025.
[45] Saar, H. Eesti Inimõiguste Keskus. 2015. Inimõigused Eestis 2014/2015. Lapse õigused, 07.12.2015.
