Ten percent of Dutch kids in child welfare

More than 356 thousand kids received some form of help from child welfare last year. That is 10 percent of all kids in the Netherlands, according to Statistics Netherlands on Friday. This help ranged from counseling for kids with mental health problems to educational guidance for kids with learning disabilities.

In total 210 thousand boys and 146 thousand girls got help from child welfare last year. That is one in eight boys and one in eleven girls. This is the first figures available since municipalities took over the responsibility for child welfare and youth care on January 1st, 2015.

Percentage wise, the Groningen municipalities of Eemsmond, Menterwolde, Hoogezand-Sappermeer and Veendam had the most kids getting help, with more than 16 percent. Numbers wise, Rotterdam and The Hague had the most kids in child welfare with 13 thousand each, followed by Amsterdam with 12 thousand.