The Netherlands is out of the top ten the KidsRights Index divers, a ranking that shows how countries score in the field of children’s rights. According to the report of the children’s rights organization, the Netherlands is guilty of “violating some fundamental children’s rights”, including in the field of youth care and youth protection. The Netherlands was fourth in the ranking last year and has now dropped to twenty place.
The government spends “a very low percentage” of the budget on children and “does not provide the necessary care or protection to a large group of vulnerable children,” writes KidsRights. The organization thus refers to ‘children who depend on youth care and youth protection, children who live in poverty or asylum seeker children who live in asylum seekers’ centres’. There is also talk of ‘regional inequality of opportunity’.
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Years of bad policy
According to Marc Dullaert, chairman of KidsRights, “these dramatic figures are a reflection of years of poor policy in the field of children’s rights”, while the Netherlands is one of the richest countries in the world. In his view, “government, civil society organizations and stakeholders should work together to develop inclusive policies and programs that reduce regional disparities and promote equal opportunities for all children.”
Globally, one in four children is expected to live below the poverty line this year. This is partly due to the wars in Ukraine and Sudan, the increased cost of living and the after-effects of the corona pandemic.
Sweden, Finland and Iceland are in the top three of the ranking, while Afghanistan, Chad and South Sudan are at the very bottom.