A child has the sovereign right to a good, safe, and healthy life.

19.11.2025 | This week is the Child Rights Week, and this year’s theme – a child’s right to belong – has two meanings: a child has the right to belong and become attached to the community and society, and on the other hand, they also have the right not only to be seen but also to be heard.

Kotka, a UNICEF Child Friendly City, is celebrating the week by publishing thoughts and reflections from the city’s elected officials and various responsibility areas about Children’s Rights and the Child Friendly City work.

The third part of the article series features the city’s well-being and employment responsibility area.

“In physical activity counselling and group exercise aimed at children and young people, the children’s and young people’s own choices, interests, and previous hobbies are taken into account when, together with the child/young person, planning a physical activity counselling process that suits them.

On nature trips, at various events, and in tests (MOVE), close cooperation is carried out with early childhood education, the education sector, and other responsibility areas/units of the municipality.

Physical activity counselling and exercise groups are free of charge for residents of all ages who exercise too little or not at all for their health. In this way, the holistic well-being of the child/young person is supported.

Within the well-being and employment responsibility area operates Ohjaamo, which provides low-threshold multidisciplinary support for young people aged 15–29. One can come to Ohjaamo with any matter, and support is provided depending on the young person’s needs and starting points. The responsibility area also coordinates and distributes the summer job vouchers offered by the City of Kotka for young people aged 15–17. The purpose of the summer job vouchers is to enable young people to gain their first work experiences. Ohjaamo also participates in interviews and selections for the summer jobs offered by the City of Kotka for young people.

In the entirety of promoting well-being, it is important to strengthen the inclusion of people of all ages, support their own activity, and reinforce a meaningful everyday life. By supporting the good everyday life of the whole family, children’s well-being is also promoted.

In promoting inclusion, special attention is paid to those residents whose participation might otherwise remain limited. We work closely on issues concerning children and young people with early childhood education, the education sector, and youth services. Promoting the inclusion of children and young people is one of the measures to be advanced in the upcoming inclusion programme period.

From the perspective of preventive substance abuse and mental health work and the prevention of domestic violence, a child-friendly Kotka recognises and takes into account children and young people in the weakest position as part of preventive work and harm work even when the primary target of the work would be adults, such as people with addiction diseases, housing challenges, or mental health difficulties. Children’s well-being matters to us. A child has the sovereign right to a good, safe, and healthy life.”