Parents and children have too little say in youth care: Ombudsmen

Children have too little say in the youth care they receive. The same applies to their parents, the Children’s Ombudsman and National Ombudsman concluded after speaking with children, parents, and others involved, NOS reports.

In 2015, the Netherlands decentralized youth care, making municipalities, instead of the national government, responsible for this. An important reason was to involve young people and their parents more in the care received. That is not happening, the Ombudsmen concluded.

“We have learned very little,” said Children’s Ombudsman Margrite Kalverboer. “Children recognize that they need help, but they want to have a say in it. That often does not happen. They are overlooked, which means the help is not appropriate.”

Parents are also often not included in discussions. “They notice that their child is getting different help than is necessary. The parents are pushed in a certain direction and ultimately cannot go back.”

There have been multiple reports about problems in youth care. Last month, the Youth Authority warned that care is becoming less accessible for young people, primarily due to long waiting lists. Three months ago, it was reported that many youth care providers are facing financial difficulties. In July, Pointer and Follow the Money reported that municipalities were losing track of children placed out of their parent homes.

“We are creating chaos with all of it,” said Kalverboer. “The cause lies at the beginning of the process. We look at what help is available. A child can then make use of that. Children sometimes see five care providers.”

“But it can be much more efficient by looking at what help a child really needs. By talking to children and parents and then making a choice. That can involve professional care, but also help within family or friends.”

Jeugdzorg Nederland, the industry association for youth care, told NOS that the report shows there is a lot of work to do. “However, several improvements have been implemented in recent years. For example, the influence of young people and parents has been addressed. The information that young people and parents receive during a youth care process has also been improved.”