Abstract Several children’s rights researchers have expressed concern about a lack of foundational theory/ies in children’s rights research. In reply to this discussion, this article proposes the Children’s Rights Normative Cultures (CRNC) model, a theoretical model that can guide the empirical study of children’s rights in various societies. In addition to presenting the model, the article outlines a non-exhaustive set of empirical factors to be studied, offers methodological tools adaptable to diverse cultural contexts, and illustrates the model’s application in Flanders (Belgium) and Ethiopia.