The International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI) promotes the wellbeing of children growing up in difficult circumstances. ICDI works to improve policies and practices affecting these children by doing research and training. ICDI believes in the power of children and young people, supporting the realisation of their rights and addressing the underlying causes for the problems they face. 2008 had been a busy year for ICDI. It was engaged in 18 projects (of varying duration) plus a number of smaller assignments--a marked increase over the number the previous year. It had managed to consolidate activities, and was growing much as anticipated in its Strategic Plan, 2008-11. Recently appointed staff members were fitting in well, and renovation of the old Leiden orphanage into a Child Rights Home (that had begun at the beginning of the year--and in which ICDI was a lead partner) had recorded considerable progress thanks to generous financial support of the Utopa Foundation. The Child Rights Home will be a focus for child rights activities, not only here in The Netherlands but internationally, and it is expected to open up new avenues of collaboration for ICDI, enabling it to do more to help children who are growing up in extremely difficult circumstances. [For the 2007 annual report, see ED512429.]