Every six months, Exodus organises an expert meeting on the rights and wishes of children of prisoners. The goal is to realise ten wishes of children of prisoners, following a step-by-step process. A variety of organisations work together (prison system, police, schools, lawyers, youth care, probation service). One of the topics that has come up is the need for more information as soon as an arrest takes place. This expert group has designed a folder with information for families after an arrest. The Dutch political party PVDA as well as the Ombudswoman for Children is regularly informed about the developments in this group.
In September 2016, the new Ombudswoman for Children Margrite Kalverboer (Professor of Child, Pedagogy and Migration Law) met with Exodus and a group of children of prisoners to discuss their rights, their feelings and their dreams and wishes. She started her work as Ombudswoman with a tour of the Netherlands, visiting children facing challenging situations. Exodus is in contact with the Ombudswoman for Children to provide children of prisoners with better information and support when they experience difficulties as a result of their parents’ arrest and imprisonment.