Building a better start for every child
The Child Wellbeing Development Centre (LaHe) is an Estonian foundation and non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening child wellbeing through early intervention, family support and community-based prevention.
Our mission is to create a comprehensive and evidence-informed model for empowering families and supporting children’s development from the earliest stages of life.
We believe that every child deserves a safe, nurturing and development-supportive environment, and that timely support for parents and families creates stronger communities and a healthier society for all.
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Perepesa – supporting families before concerns become crises
To support children’s wellbeing and healthy development, LaHe has created and continues to develop the Perepesa model — a community-based prevention and family support centre designed for expecting parents and families with preschool-aged children. The model was created in response to the growing need for accessible early support for families in Estonia.
For many years, support services for families were fragmented, difficult to access or available only after problems had already escalated. At the same time, increasing mental health challenges, parental stress and social isolation highlighted the urgent need for preventive and community-based support close to home.
Research consistently shows that the foundations for lifelong wellbeing, mental health and learning capacity are built during pregnancy and the first years of life. Supporting parents early and identifying risks at an early stage helps prevent more serious difficulties later on. Perepesa was created to respond to these challenges through a practical, evidence-informed and community-based approach.
Perepesa centres provide families with parenting support, psychological counselling, guided activities for children and parents, baby parent groups, prenatal education, fathers’ groups, speech and developmental support, evidence-based parenting programmes and opportunities for peer support. Perepesa is not only a service centre — it is also a welcoming community space where families can connect, receive support and experience that they are not alone.
The model is based on four core principles: universal prevention and early intervention, a one-door approach to support and services, evidence-based practice and strong cross-sectoral collaboration between the social, health and education sectors. Services are designed to be low-threshold, accessible and supportive before problems become crises.
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Today, Perepesa centres operate in Põltsamaa, Türi, Viljandi, Tartu, Elva, Pärnu, Paide and Tallinn, and the network continues to expand across Estonia in cooperation with municipalities and the state.
In 2025 alone, Perepesa centres recorded more than 35,000 visits, while parent satisfaction with services has remained consistently high.
Perepesa has become an important part of Estonia’s early prevention and family support landscape, helping local governments strengthen community-based support for families with young children.
LaHe’s long-term goal is to develop into a national competence centre for family-centred prevention and evidence-based interventions. We are open to international cooperation, knowledge exchange and partnerships related to early intervention, parenting support, family centres, child wellbeing and community-based prevention models.
At LaHe, we believe that investing in children and families is one of the most important investments a society can make — because every child deserves the opportunity to realise their potential, and every family deserves support, dignity and hope.
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