Ombudsman for Children in Finland

The Ombudsman for Children promotes the realization of children's rights in Finland. The Ombudsman raises the awareness of decision-makers and influences societal policy by speaking out on behalf of children. She acts as a soundboard for the voice of children and a bridge builder for child policy.

The basis of the work of the Ombudsman is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the implementation of which the Ombudsman assesses and promoted at general societal policy and legislative levels.

The Ombudsman does not handle individual cases.

The post of Ombudsman for Children is an independent state authority, established by parliamentary legislation. The post of Ombudsman comes within the administrative framework of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, though the ministry does not direct the work of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman does not handle individual matters concerning children and families and cannot alter the decisions taken by other authorities.

By law, the duty of the Ombudsman for Children is to promote the interests of children and the implementation of their rights on a general societal level together with other actors in the field. The Ombudsman's collaborative partners in this work are other authorities, municipalities, churches, non-governmental organisations, researchers and other actors and specialists in the area of child policy.

An important point of departure in the lobbying work carried out by the Ombudsman is the opinions and contacts of children concerning children's rights and welfare, which the Ombudsman's office receives online and by letter.