Skip to main content
Home  › ... About pediatric palliative care › Children's rights

Child palliative care as a child's right

For a long time, children were offered more or less the same palliative care as adults. And that while children and their families have different palliative care needs than adults.


Child palliative care as a child's right

The target

The Dutch Centre of Expertise in Children's Palliative Care aims to improve palliative care for children throughout the country. Providing the highest possible quality of life and death to children with a life-threatening or life-shortening disorder and their families is central to this.

The Dutch Centre of Expertise in Children's Palliative Care is committed (inter)nationally to child palliative care as a child's right, because;

  • every child (and his/her family members) has the right to be treated with respect and dignity.
  • every child (and his/her family) has the right to personal care and help & support that should be adapted to their special wishes and needs.
  • the family is entitled to support from a multidisciplinary team, in which good cooperation and open and honest communication are central.
  • During all stages of care, from diagnosis to death and aftercare, important and clear information will have to be given to the family.
  • whenever possible, children should always be cared for in a place of their own choosing; a hospital, a children's hospice or at home.
  • a child and his/her family are entitled to emotional, psychosocial and spiritual support.
  • children and young adults have the right to access suitable education and work.
  • the wishes of a child and his/her family members towards the end of life should be discussed well in advance.​
Based on factsheet Children's Palliative Care and Human Rights, Open Society Foundations, 2015