Netherlands' Ombudsman for children

The Ombudsman for Children monitors whether children’s rights are adhered to in the Netherlands by the central and local government. But also by private organisations in education, childcare, child welfare and health care. It provides advice to the government and Parliament regarding laws and policies that have an effect on children's rights. The Ombudsman for Children also raises awareness of children's rights.

The Ombudsman for children is an independent institute that exists since 1 April 2011, as a part of the institute of the National Ombudsman, which has its own mandate and reports annually to Parliament.

Annual report 2024: Put citizens first

Ombudsman for children: Margrite Kalverboer 

The Dutch parliament appointed Margrite Kalverboer as the Netherlands’ ombudsperson for Children, on 20 April 2016. Margrite Kalverboer is a Professor of Child, Pedagogy and Migration Law. She studied law and clinical child and adolescent studies at the University of Groningen. In 1996 she gained a PhD with research on the way that educational and care problems are reported to the Child Care and Protection Board Northern Division.

From 1996 to 2002 she was a behavioural scientist and head of Care at Het Poortje young offenders’ institution in Groningen. After that she became university reader in the Youth Care section of the department of Special Needs Education and Child Care of the University of Groningen.

Read more about research by the Children's Ombudsman

The Ombudsman for Children: International

The Netherlands' Ombudsman for Children is a member of the European Network for Ombudsman for Children (ENOC).

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