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1. Governance

2. Cross-sectorial cooperation

Governance

The approaches and principles concerned with social inclusion and welfare are defined at the Government level in the document Welfare Development Plan 2016-2023 (Heaolu arengukava 2016-2023) arises from the principles of a social and welfare state, the framework of fundamental and social rights, and social protection principles. (See more detailed description in chapter 4.1.).

There is no single body responsible for the social inclusion of young people as the domain covers several policy areas, which have established a different division of tasks between different Ministries and between the local and central levels.

Two most relevant policy areas – youth field and social protection are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Research (youth field), the Youth Affairs Department (starting from 01.01.2021 the Youth and Talent Department) and the Ministry of Social Affairs (child protection), Department of Children and Families.

The main other Governmental authorities and their responsibility according to the Government of the Republic Act relevant to social inclusion:

• the Ministry of Education and Research: responsible for youth policy and education policy;
• the Ministry of Social Affairs: responsible for child and family policy, labor market, social protection, gender equality, and equal treatment policies;
• the Ministry of Culture: responsible for integration policy;
• the Ministry of Interior: responsible for crime prevention;
• the Ministry of Justice responsible for the justice system;
• the Ministry of Finance: responsible development of local governments, planning, and coordination of regional development;
• the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications: responsible for developing E-governance and e-services.

Main public actors and foundations of policy fields relevant to social inclusion:

1. Chancellor of Justice, an independent official institution responsible for ensuring the rights of children would be protected;
2. Gender Equality and Equal Treatment Commissioner, an independent office responsible for the protection of equal rights;
3. Social Insurance Board, an agency of the Ministry of Social Affairs, responsible for social insurance benefits and child protection services;
4. Töötukassa (Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund), a public legal entity acting in the are of the Ministry of Social Affairs and responsible for the provision of labor market services;
5. Education and Youth Board, a governmental institution responsible for implementing education and youth policy;
6. Integration Foundation, an independent body established by the government under the Ministry of Culture, responsible for supporting the integration of national minorities in Estonia.
7. The National Institute for Health Development, a governmental institution under the Ministry of Social Affairs responsible for health promotion.

The main non-public actors:

• the Eesti Noorsootöötajate Kogu (Association of Estonian Youth Workers) 
• the Estonian National Youth Council 

Cross-sectorial cooperation

There is no single body responsible for the social inclusion of young people as the domain covers several policy areas, which have established a different division of tasks between different ministries and between local and central levels.

Two most relevant policy areas – youth field and social protection are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education and Research (youth field) and the Ministry of Social Affairs (child protection).  The responsibilities in the youth field and in the field of child protection use similar division of tasks between the local level and central level, where the provision of services is generally the responsibility of local governments and the central level are responsible for policy, legislation and state budgeting.

There is a mechanism established to ensure harmonized policy-making and implementation that also covers youth social inclusion. The central position in this mechanism - approving the propositions to develop a policy document or to change the existing one, monitoring the implementation through approving the action plans and their reports and also monitoring the cooperation and in case of need initiating the cooperation - is granted to the Government and the Government Office. The Ministry of Finance also plays a coordinating role in planning, monitoring and ensuring the division of resources of different financial instruments including the state budget, among all the policy fields.