Here you’ll find the blog and newsletters of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales.
Rocio Cifuentes became the Children’s Commissioner in April 2022.
September Newsletter
European conference of Commissioners and Ombudspersons – a focus on the rights of children in care This month, the Commissioner attended a conference in Helsinki of children’s rights institutions from across Europe, getting together to discuss this year’s theme of ‘Protecting and Promoting the Rights of Children in Alternative…
August Newsletter
National Eisteddfod August is National Eisteddfod month in Wales and this year saw Rocio head to Pontypridd to run a drop-in session with the area’s local Member of Parliament and Member of the Senedd. We met with young people from the area and spoke with the elected representatives about…
Housing is fundamental to well-being in Wales
We need a long-term approach to housing, which could contribute to solving three key issues, say the Future Generations, Welsh Language and Children’s Commissioner… Access to adequate housing relates to the most basic human needs, and it impacts the lives of millions of Welsh citizens daily. Housing also plays…
June Newsletter
#YouthWorkWeek24 Youth workers across Wales play a vital role in promoting and protecting children’s rights. To mark #YouthWorkWeek24, and to thank everyone who makes youth work so special and valuable, the Commissioner has recorded this special message. Declaration of radical reform for care experienced young people All children and…
May Newsletter
Visiting Oasis Oasis is a Cardiff-based charity that helps refugees and asylum seekers integrate within their local communities. As part of our organisational ‘staying connected’ objective, we were grateful to have a warm welcome from Oasis, where we learned more about their work and the young people they help….
What would young people do if they were in charge?
What would Welsh young people do if they were the new First Minister? During February over 600 children across Wales took part in my office’s discussion pack for schools, Monthly Matters, and told us what they thought. Here are six things they would do if they were at the…
March Newsletter
A promise to care experienced young people Over twenty years ago, as a result of significant failures to support children in care, Wales took a brave decision to create a Children’s Commissioner whose job would be to protect and promote children’s rights and be an independent advocate for Wales’…
Cymru i Bawb – A Wales for all
This month marks the two-year anniversary of war breaking out in Ukraine, of millions of children being displaced, and of many of those children finding solace and protection in Wales. I recently met with a group of young people in south Wales, who had all fled their home countries,…
February Newsletter
A meeting with young people who had fled their home countries, welcoming new advisory panel members, and other news and events from February.
The problem with learner travel
Imagine a daily commute. It starts early, and at this time of year the sun has barely risen over the horizon. Some pavements and paths are lit by streetlights; some aren’t. It’s a journey of several miles, and involves a change of public buses in a busy urban area. You might well have a similar commute…