Ott and Haukanõmm: Children's Rights Must Come Before Parents' Lawyers

Centre Party politicians Anneli Ott and Monika Haukanõmm write on Children's Rights Day about children's sense of security and values formation. They emphasize that children's rights should not depend on which parent can afford a more aggressive lawyer.

Marking Children's Rights Day, Anneli Ott and Monika Haukanõmm from the Centre Party raise the question of how to protect children's interests in situations where family conflicts increasingly become court disputes.

Ott and Haukanõmm stress that the current system leaves too much room for situations where a child's welfare depends on which parent can afford better and more aggressive legal representation. According to them, the child's best interests should always be at the centre of court proceedings and child protection work, not sidelined.

The authors also raise a broader question: what values do we pass on to children? Are we raising patriots who feel a connection to their homeland, or global citizens with broad horizons and open minds? In their view, these two need not be at odds — a good child can have both qualities.

The Centre Party politicians call for strengthening child protection both at the legislative level and in practice. A child's sense of security, a safe growing environment, and the right to be heard — these are values that should be actively championed in Estonia, write Ott and Haukanõmm.