More and more children in The Hague are not going to school and staying at home

More and more children in The Hague cannot go to school due to problems and are sitting at home all day. In a letter to the city council, the city's youth ombudsperson, Yvette Nass, writes that the number has doubled in recent years. However, she gave no figures and could not be reached for comment.

According to Nass, previous measures to help those staying home seem to have little effect, which concerns her.

Nass reports that she is receiving increasing complaints about parents not being able to find a suitable place to educate their children. In addition, there is no adequate care or counseling for the children while they wait for a spot to open up somewhere. According to her, parents and children are "stuck in the system" and no longer know who to turn to with questions.

The youth ombudsperson blames the changes in youth care for the problems. Children cannot get youth care, "for example, because of the waiting times at the new partnerships" or because contracts no longer cover the help.

Nass is calling on the municipality of The Hague to take concrete measures immediately. For example, she wants parents to receive support while they wait for a suitable education or childcare place. Parents should also be kept informed of progress if a child is on the waiting list. Children sitting at home, children at risk of sitting at home and parents will all benefit from this, she said.

There are 151 school-age and qualified children in The Hague who have not been to school for over three months. The procedure for reintegrating the children firmly into the school system depends on their specific situation. For some children, it may take a little longer to find a suitable place in school, AD reports.