The Children's Commisioner for Wales, Rocio Cifuentes looking straight at the camera smiling.

Commissioner’s Blog and Newsletters

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.

A Youth Parliament for Wales: a welcome addition to our democracy

I was thrilled to see the Llywydd (Presiding Officer) Elin Jones AM announce plans for the Assembly Commission to establish a national Youth Parliament for Wales. This support by the Llywydd will have a big impact. Firstly, it sends out a clear message to children and young people in…

My Ambassadors are back!

September is an exciting month in my office as we sign up primary schools to our Super Ambassadors’ scheme. Many are re-registering as they do every year, while others will be brand new to the scheme. My Super Ambassadors play an important part in making sure I hear from…

Children in our Care – let’s get the basics right

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve spent time with young people from 19 out of Wales’ 22 local authorities. These young people were of different ages, had a wide range of different interests, personal styles and talents. All had big ambitions for life including being a chef in…

Art, chickens, and children’s rights

Guest blog by Lois Medi – Advisory Panel Member On Tuesday the twelfth of July, the first meeting of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales’ young advisory panel was held. It was a brilliant, productive day that gave us even more encouragement to make a difference to the lives of…

Together Stronger for children and young people

Guest post by Hywel Dafydd – Policy and Public Affairs Manager Like the country as a whole, I am still radiating with joy, pride and gratitude for the achievements of the Welsh football team during Euro 2016. Whilst so many of us were fortunate to be able to build…

Building success: young people building their own homes

Last week I visited the Wrexham Warehouse Project. I had a thoroughly enjoyable few hours in this project. George Powell was a foster carer for 20 years alongside his work as a builder with his own family firm. He has since built a young people’s training centre alongside the…

‘My name’s Joel and I’m the Prime Minister’

This is how I was greeted by 11 year old Joel when I arrived at St Joseph’s RC primary school in Penarth recently. Wales has promoted democracy in schools for many years – making school councils compulsory in every state school from December 2005. School councils give life to…

First day

I applied for the post of Children’s Commissioner because I want to make sure that the ‘3 Ps’ of children and young people’s rights are at the top of everyone’s agenda in Wales. These are: Participation: do you have a chance to have a say in issues that affect…

Austerity Bites

As I come to the end of my first month in office I can pause to reflect on what an unusual month it has been. Across the UK the month has been dominated by the General Election – an event that is usually held only once every 5 years…