Aid to vulnerable children insufficient, Children's Ombudsman says

The problems in youth aid, youth protection, youth mental health care, and appropriate educate are becoming bigger and bigger. As a result, vulnerable children often do not get the help they need, Children's Ombudsman Margrite Kalverboer said in a letter to Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Health, Welfare and Sports, RTL Nieuws reports.

One of the main problems is that there is not enough coherence in youth aid, Kalverboer said. According to her, the different organizations often work past each other and it is sometimes unclear who is responsible for helping the child. "Children who need our help the most, fall through the cracks in this way", Kalverboer said.

Especially the most vulnerable children, who have to deal with different authorities, are not getting the help they need. "There is no place for children in urgent need of psychological help, guardians change at a rapid pace, and children sometimes stay at home for months because there is no appropriate education. Despite the broad commitment of all parties involved, we cannot manage to get the hep for these children properly arranged."

In her letter to the Minister, she calls on him to improve the situation.