In 2025, the Ombudsman for Children has once again championed a structural improvement in the position of children. After all, far from all children in the Netherlands grow up prosperously. Look, for example, at how children in youth care fare or how difficult it is for children growing up in poverty. The Ombudsman for Children has called for continued attention to this issue this year.
Good news in 2025 regarding our Child Rights Impact Assessment. This assessment, launched in 2024, provides policymakers with the tools to prioritize children's rights when shaping legislation, regulations, and policy. In October 2025, the Senate took a significant step by adopting a motion mandating a children's rights assessment for new legislation and regulations in youth care, in order to verify whether children's rights are actually safeguarded.
All parties representing the interests of children—or who ought to do so—should contribute to a society in which the well-being and development of children take center stage. This annual report describes the key activities undertaken by the Ombudsman for Children over the past year to achieve this. Because children have a right to this!