Six of 13 Dutch youth protection agencies fail legal standards amid staffing crisis
Six of the Netherlands’ 13 youth protection agencies are failing to meet legal requirements due to critical staff shortages, leaving children in unsafe homes waiting weeks or even months for help, according to an investigation by Trouw.
Dutch law mandates that every child deemed unsafe by a court must be assigned a youth guardian within five days. However, agencies report they lack the personnel to comply. When no guardian is available, cases identified as immediately dangerous receive temporary support. Other cases are placed on waiting lists.
One agency reported average wait times exceeding three months, based on data from the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate.
Court rulings determine which children need protection—whether through in-home monitoring, foster care placement, or reintegration support following a crime. All cases involve serious threats to a child’s well-being. Delaying or excluding cases from immediate help violates the law.
Agnes Derksen, a youth protection specialist at the Netherlands Youth Institute, told Trouw that children and parents experience high levels of stress, trauma, and distrust toward social workers. She added that children need a guardian who truly listens and that emergency measures should never become the norm.
An emergency protocol to prioritize cases during staff shortages has been in place for years. Agencies formalized this system in 2022, expecting a short-term solution. But the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate reports many agencies have used the protocol continuously for nearly three years. Mariëlle Bruning, a professor of youth law, called the prolonged use of emergency measures “shocking.”
As of April, 1,358 children—4.3 percent of all active cases—had waited more than five days for a guardian, with some waiting months.
One foster child went more than seven months without a guardian assigned. Anneke van Teijlingen, a court-appointed special guardian, said the boy’s future was neglected. “He does not know if he will remain in his foster home or return to his parents,” she told Trouw. “He cannot focus at school because he does not know where he will go next year.”
Van Teijlingen also criticized the government for forcing parents to give up their children without ensuring proper care afterward. She said this further damages already fragile trust in government agencies.
An internal document obtained by Trouw outlines criteria for immediate intervention, including physical violence, abuse, grooming, or severe neglect. When no guardian is available, agencies seek temporary solutions through family networks and reassess cases every three months.
Jeugdzorg Nederland, the national organization representing youth protection agencies, said the emergency protocol sets a minimum legal standard, not a maximum. A spokesperson added most agencies provide additional support whenever possible and view the emergency protocol as temporary.
