Youth care in the Netherlands needs to change. A new alarming inspection report says that children’s safety is not guaranteed. Mariëlle Bruning, Professor of Child Law, warns in an Argos podcast: ‘We have a duty to protect children.’

Children are not always immediately helped due to staff shortages. For years, youth protection agencies have used an emergency protocol. Mariëlle Bruning, Professor of Children and the Law in ‘Trouw’: ‘It’s shocking that an emergency protocol has been used for three years.’

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Parental divorce or separation is for many children an adverse experience in itself. Particularly the transitional period just before and after the separation between parents, during which parents and children have to adapt to the disruptions in family life is stressful. Previous studies showed that…

Inspectors say the William Schrikker Foundation, a leading Dutch youth protection agency, is failing in its duties. Mariëlle Bruning, Professor of Child Law, told public broadcaster NOS: ‘It's deeply concerning that there's insufficient oversight of children’s safety.’

The Dutch child protection system

What does it mean to protect against disaster in the context of climate change and other cascading environmental crises?

Is the current existing legal framework on compulsory and voluntary care - for vulnerable young adults (between the ages of 18 to 23) - in need of revision? And if so, what kind of amendments would be advisable?

On 3 November 2022, Mariëlle Bruning, Professor of Children and the Law, spoke as an expert on child protection at a roundtable discussion with Dutch Lower House members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Security.

The Leiden Institute of Education and Child Studies aims to conduct high-quality research that addresses major social issues. This inspires its BSc, MSc and PhD programmes.

The master’s programme 'Jeugdrecht' considers topics like child abuse, child refugees, bullying via social media, adoption and divorce and aims to make a difference in the lives of the youngest members of our society.

How do people develop and how do they learn? How does their environment affect them? How do we ensure that they develop in optimal fashion? And what can we do if problems occur? These are questions that the researchers at the Institute of Education and Child Studies try to answer.

Are you thinking about studying Child and Adolescent Psychology? Learn more and watch the videos.

The Department of Child Law and Health Law is a knowledge centre dedicated to academic research and education for both students and professionals in two fields: child law (and children's rights) and health law.

The Department of Child Law and Health Law is a knowledge centre dedicated to academic research and education for both students and professionals in two fields: child law (and children's rights) and health law.

The programme group Parenting, Child Care and Development studies how parents and other educators affect children's development, well-being and health. The emphasis is on the child's social, emotional and cognitive development and prevention of problems in these areas.

Do you want to learn how to prevent child problems by optimising caregiving? Would you like to advise parents, professional caregivers and policy makers on caregiving-issues? In that case the master’s specialisation Parenting and Child Development is the ideal choice for you!

The master's programme in Education and Child Studies is an academic programme that focuses on the link between theory, research and practice.

One of the core missions of CWTS is to contribute to a sustainable science system. Through our services, we do so by providing high-quality support for research evaluation, research management, and science policy.

Several studies into the prevalence of child abuse in the Netherlands were conducted on behalf of the Ministries of Security and Justice and of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Samson Committee and the WODC.

Queer youths seeking asylum in the Netherlands are not adequately protected. The system that assesses asylum claims lacks child-specific processes and often fails to notice these youths' suffering.

In the specialisation Child and Adolescent Psychology , part of the Master in Psychology, you develop practical skills in assessing and managing developmental psychopathology.

The judge as a problem-solver in domestic violence cases involving child victims.

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Central elements in the research activities of all programme group members are: attachment, sensitive caregiving, and prevention and intervention.

How can child participation be defined, what is the importance of child participation and how can it be promoted?

The programme group Parenting, Child Care and Development carries out general courses within the field of Education and Child Studies and specialised courses within the field of Child and Family Science.

Double Bind. Public service professionals coping with contrasting demands. How do public service professionals align their PSM with contrasting demands set by the organizational and social contexts in which they work?

Do you have questions about your study programme or could you use some extra help making decisions for your future career? Leiden University offers multiple support services. Take a look at our pages for Student Support Services or Career Services to see what we can help you with.

The NVIC offers a wide range of services for scholars and students, which are available to the staff members, research fellows and students of the participating institutions at reduced cost.

The Institute of Education and Child Studies aims to create a challenging academic environment in which students can flourish.

Do you want to make contact with talented young people at an early stage of their career? Career Services can help you can get in touch with students and young alumni of Leiden University.

Leiden University’s Career Service can provide the answers to most of the questions you might have about your career, your personal profile and the job market. It’s also there to help you with job applications.

As children learn, develop and acquire more skills, their legal position also changes. Professor of Children’s Rights Ton Liefaard works closely together with Leiden social sciences researchers to shed light on these growing capacities and their implications for our legal system. ‘Our ideas about children’s…

This Research Master’s programme will train you to become a researcher.

At Psychology Lab on Wheels, we take your privacy and the security of your personal data very seriously. We want to assure you that all the information collected during this study will be handled in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Three-quarters of our alumni find a job in less than three months. Have you thought yet about what you’ll do once you’ve completed your master’s? At Leiden University we do our utmost to help you get your career off to a flying start.

On this page you will find all the practical services we offer you as an alumnus. This way you can continue to use the university libraries for the rest of your life and we will be happy to help you if you need proof of graduation for further education.

It can no longer be taken for granted that EU member states are stable democracies. What should the EU do to protect democracy given increasing democratic backsliding in some member states?

This book examines the impact of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on national and international jurisprudence, since its adoption in 1989.

The Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) has found that foster care at stitching Enver is not up to scratch. Mariëlle Bruning, Professor of Children and the Law, spoke to public broadcaster NOS about these new findings.

Everything you have to know about internships when you study at the Institute of Education and Child Studies at Leiden Unversity ››

Although the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) harmonizes the protection of personal data across the EU as of May 2018, its open norms in combination with cultural differences between countries result in differences in the practical implementation, interpretation and enforcement of personal…

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Het Leids onderzoek naar gedwongen uithuisplaatsingen van kinderen heeft veel stof doen opwaaien. Op een congres bespraken meer dan 250 mensen het onderzoek verder om zo de situatie voor ouders en kinderen in de toekomst te verbeteren.