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.

The Ombudsman for Children provides advice to the government and  Parliament regarding laws and policies that have an effect on children's rights. He raises awareness of children's rights.

The Ombudsman for children is an independent institute that exists since 1 April 2011. Margrite Kalverboer is Ombudsperson for Children of the Netherlands since 1 April 2016.

The Ombudsman for Children is part of the institute of the National Ombudsman. He has his own mandate and reports annually to Parliament.

The Dutch parliament appointed Margrite Kalverboer as the Netherlands’ ombudsperson for Children, on 20 April 2016.

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 the 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.0

The Ombudsman for Children has done numerous studies on the observance of children's rights in the Netherlands. A number these studies has been translated into English.

• The position of Foreign Children (2012)
• The Gardian ad Litem (2012)
• Children in poverty (2013)
• Plan of action against bullying (2013)
• Right tot education (2013)
• Familyreunification (2013)
• Factfinding in far-reaching child services decisions (2014)
• Fighting parents, the child in a fix (2014)
• Prevention of child abuse by municipal authorities (2014)
• Tackling violance against children (2015)

The office of te Netherlands' Ombudsman for Children can be reached by:

• by e-mail.
• by phone. +31 800 8765432. You can call at weekdays from noon until 5 pm
• by mail. Please send your letter to:

de Kinderombudsman
Postbus 93122
2509 AC Den Haag
The Netherlands

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

UN endorses statement issued by European Ombudspersons for Children - september 2015

European Ombudspersons for Children establish taskforce to protect rights of refugee children - september 2015