National Child Strategy to strengthen inclusion of children and young people 

One of the key objectives of the National Child Strategy is to further stress the importance of children and young people’s own involvement. For the meeting held on 2 September , the parliamentary committee that was appointed to prepare the Strategy addressed the issue of children’s inclusion in particular. 

“Inclusion is important to us all. To ensure inclusion, it is necessary that the rights to participate are secured as fundamental and human rights.  We all, including children and young people, have the right to be included,” says Krista Kiuru, Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services, who chairs the committee.  

“The Child Strategy will provide a good basis for strengthening the inclusion and participation of children and young people in society.  It is important that we carry out this work together on a broad front to ensure that the voices of children and young people will be better heard in Finland,” Minister Kiuru says.

A publication on the inclusion of children, written by Elina Stenvall, Doctor of Administrative Sciences, was submitted to the committee. The publication, entitled ‘Inclusion and participation’, describes the two dimensions of inclusion — on the one hand, the experience of belonging to a group, and on the other, the experience of having opportunities to influence matters that are important to you.  

The publication complements the knowledge base used in the preparation of the Child Strategy. As part of preparing the Strategy, the committee has previously examined the fundamental and human rights obligations affecting the Strategy and the effects of the coronavirus crisis on the wellbeing of children and young people, for example.

Inquiries

Johanna Laisaari, Secretary General for the Child Strategy Committee, tel. +358 295 161 177