The Association of Estonian Children and Youth Organisations

CONTACT

Käthlin Kaurla-Veski

lootustulevikku@gmail.com

About the organisation

The Association of Estonian Children and Youth Organisations (in Estonian: Eesti Laste ja Noorte Hoolekandeasutuste Ühendus – ELNHÜ) was established in 1993 and unites children’s and youth organisations and their structural units, regardless of type, subjection and ownership. The Association is a not-for-profit legal person in private law.

The purpose of the Association, under its statutes, is to bring together institutions and organisations offering substitute home services and other children’s welfare services in order to help improve the quality of substitute home service provision, to advance the content of services, and to develop legislation to regulate the sector.

To reach this purpose, the Association undertakes the following activities:

1. developing cooperation between institutions, organisations, associations and alliances engaged with children and youths, both nationally and internationally;

2. collecting, acknowledging and analysing information on the principal activities, current state, and opportunities of children’s and youth organisations, and making recommendations to relevant institutions and organisations;

3. organising sector-specific training, events and study visits to increase the professionalism of its members;

4. protecting and representing the interests and rights of children, youth and staff members.

The Association is in partnership with local governments and the Ministry.

The Association has no paid employees. The Board is elected for a 3-year term at the General Assembly.

The Association currently unites 34 different children’s organisations, i.e. the majority of Estonian substitute home service providers (a substitute home is a former children’s home). In addition to substitute home services, many members of the Association also provide various other services to children and youth – shelter services (both for children and for mothers with children), child care services for children with severe or profound disabilities, youth home services, rehabilitation services for disabled children, educational services (schools) for children with special needs, and nursery services.