Netherlands: Children remain insufficiently protected from violence

The Children's Rights Collective (Kinderrechtencollectief) has reported that children in the Netherlands are still not being adequately heard or protected from insecurity and violence. According to the annual 'Kinderrechten in Beweging' monitor, the Dutch government lacks sufficient oversight regarding the number of children growing up in unsafe situations.

Data from Veilig Thuis shows that reports and advice regarding child abuse rose from nearly 63,000 in 2020 to over 68,000 in 2025. Additionally, the number of children receiving youth care increased from approximately 402,000 in 2020 to over 465,000 in 2025, despite a slight decrease in the most recent year.

The collective, which includes organizations such as Save the Children, Terre des Hommes, and the Netherlands Youth Institute, describes the situation as a 'persistent problem.' They argue that having a file or a support trajectory does not guarantee a child is actually heard or believed. To address this, the group is calling for the urgent implementation of a legal standard to mandate continuous and meaningful contact between professionals and children.