Families and staff file dozens complaints against Youth Protection organization
Youth Protection North, the child protection agency for Groningen and Drenthe, has received about 50 complaints in just two weeks, according to NOS. Parents, foster parents, and current and former employees reported abuses to a desk launched by local politicians earlier this month.
The agency lost its permanent certification in December and now operates under a temporary one. A decision on its future will be made next month. Without renewal, all services must stop.
Complaints describe poor cooperation and frequent turnover of caseworkers. “There is no consultation with parents on an equal basis, and there are all kinds of different youth protectors involved with a family,” Marga de Groot, a confidential adviser handling reports, told NOS. “It is such a shame, because if you include a family in the decisions, the chance of success is much greater. Moreover, the law says it is mandatory.”
One mother who filed a complaint told NOS, “I have no confidence in the organization, but my children are dependent on it. The youth protectors were supposed to make a safety plan for contact with their father, but that never happened. Youth Protection North also passed on incorrect information to the judge.”
The inspectorate ruled last month that the agency’s work is inadequate, citing weak leadership and a problematic culture. Staff shortages are severe: more than half of employees in Drenthe resigned last year, while in Groningen, about 30 percent quit. About 250 children currently lack a fixed caseworker.
City councilor Yaneth Menger of Stadspartij, 100% for Groningen, said she helped launch the complaint desk after receiving a flood of messages. “I received all kinds of emails about abuses at Youth Protection North,” she told NOS. “It is our job to listen to residents and take signals seriously. Only if we know what is structurally going wrong can we improve the situation. Together with several local political parties, we therefore set up the complaint desk.”
Youth Protection North admits problems but says it has a recovery plan focused on hiring. Ten new caseworkers have joined this year.
Preparations are also underway in case certification is lost and children must be reassigned, as reportedly happened four years ago when Zeeland’s Briedis Youth Protectors were shut down.
