Toetuskiri

Institute of Social Studies [email protected] Our ref. 01.04.2024 No 6-1/851-1 Letter of Endorsement to the grant application ‘Equality or Equity? Beyond traditional policies in Estonia: a relational view on children in society’. To whom it may concern, Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia is pleased to endorse the grant application ‘Equality or Equity? Beyond traditional policies in Estonia: a relational view on children in society’ prepared by Tartu University, associate professor Judit Strömpl and senior researchers Dagmar Kutsar, Oliver Nahkur, Katre Luhamaa and Kadri Soo. Ministry of Social Affairs appreciates the interest of researchers in themes falling into the Ministry’s field of administration. This project aims to explore equality and equity of children both in society and from children's perspectives within the framework of children's rights in Estonia. It also contributes with research evidence to moving beyond traditional policy- making, including the development of a cross-sectoral child well-being dashboard for monitoring and investment guidance purposes. Children are born with different life chances, which have worsened with the recent global crises, exacerbating inequalities between children. Achieving equality requires looking beyond traditional policies. It is of utmost importance to understand better the value of investing in children to improve their life chances and to promote equity between them. This research project takes special focus on children, who are 'invisible' in policies and ‘unvoiced’ in research. They need special attention to reach their full potential and to be on an equal footing with everyone else. The insights from the project will assist the Ministry of Social Affairs to shift policies from a reactive to a proactive/preventive approach, focusing on ensuring children's rights. This project is an excellent opportunity to extend the knowledge transfer between the Ministry and Tartu University and contributes to the development of a cross-sectoral child well-being dashboard. Yours sincerely, (Deputy Secretary General for Innovation at the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs) Suur-Ameerika 1 / 10122 Tallinn / ESTONIA / +372 626 9301 / [email protected] / www.sm.ee / Reg. no 70001952 Age Viira +372 [email protected] 2 (2)