The Hague commissioner Hilbert Bredemeijer does not mince words: “It can no longer be done as it is now. The system is failing”, says among other things the commissioner who deals with the protection of young people in his municipality.
“In The Hague alone we have 189 youth care providers. 189! And we haven’t known for a long time whether all the help is effective. But we have to fulfill our duty to help.”
This also costs money. Last year, his municipality spent another 60 million euros on youth assistance.
Youth welfare leaflets
Since 2015, municipalities have been responsible for youth care, ranging from light help for dyslexia and ‘simple’ parenting problems to complex care for severe mental problems or eating disorders. Municipalities receive money from the government; but it will reduce significantly. And this while the demand is increasing enormously.
Councilor Bredemeijer sees every day how things go wrong: “Children with minor problems are already referred to all types of youth care. Leaflets are distributed in our municipality to advertise forms of youth care. It has become a model of income”.
And this while young people with more serious and specialized requests for help languish because they are sometimes on a waiting list for months, resulting in life-threatening situations.
“Makes You Desperate”
Like Robin Knegt (18) from Emmen. You call the system “rotten”. For years she went from waiting list to waiting list for treatment for autism, PTSD and depression. “I’ve been put on a months-long waiting list for each treatment. And I’ve just been told that after two years of waiting I have to go back to the municipality because I’m not in the right place.”
What does it do to someone? “It makes you hopeless. Because of the waiting times, I really fell into a crisis. I no longer had any prospects and that made me even more suicidal.”
New plans
Almost everyone thinks it can’t go on like this anymore. Even the toilet. The system needs a drastic overhaul. Next week (before Christmas), State Secretary Maarten van Ooijen is due to present his long-awaited reform plans. This must include concrete measures to improve the quality of care for young people and reduce its costs.
Van Ooijen consulted for months with municipalities (responsible for youth welfare), youth welfare institutions and health professionals. Consultations stalled for months, an agreement had already been postponed this year.
From a round of the people involved who are sitting at the discussion tables, one feels that there are now also doubts as to whether Van Ooijen will reach an agreement this time too.
Cry for changes
If there are no new plans, it will be disastrous for our youth, experts say. The cry for concrete measures is great, especially since a billion dollar cut is also in the air. Municipalities will soon receive much less money to provide assistance.
PvdA MP Mohammed Mohandis does not understand how a cut can already be booked without an agreement on concrete plans (reform programme). “New plans are desperately needed, something has to be done. Now it’s really over or done with.”
Congresswoman Lisa Westerveld (GroenLinks) agreed: “The system has completely collapsed. Someone now needs to punch the table with their fist and say how we’re going to do things differently. Young people who need help are now languishing on lists of d ‘wait.” He fears even more harrowing cases in which deaths could occur.
Heavy conversations
But the solution is complicated. “The municipalities and the cabinet are arguing about money until the last minute. There is still a gap of several tens of millions to fill,” says an insider.
In addition, youth welfare organizations are sounding the alarm about youth welfare implementation. “There’s a lot of talk about money, but it should be about the content of care.”
Contribution
There is a whole package of measures to make youth care good and affordable again. But it is not yet clear if and what the Secretary of State will decide.
One possibility is a personal contribution from parents to some lighter forms of youth care. But for many MPs, a personal contribution is not negotiable.
There is also talk of scrapping the offer. Youth welfare has grown tremendously in recent years – nearly 1 in 7 children receive some form of youth welfare. And there’s particularly explosive growth in the lighter forms. As a result, costs have soared explosively, to $5.6 billion last year.
As a society, we pay out hundreds of millions a year just for dyslexia. You might want to drop this form because it’s not a cure, but more something that falls under education.
“Animal Cuddle Sessions”
Councilor Bredemeijer in The Hague also sees this: “We have now reached the point where a child with behavioral problems is almost always referred to specialized youth care. And we also have to offer resilience training if a child is a little ‘ shy. Or cuddle sessions with the animals.”
He believes “no” should be said more often.
Do not wait
It remains to be seen whether the cabinet will announce long-awaited and, according to many, much-needed reforms this week. “All kinds of consultations are expected in the coming days. We still have time,” the ministry said.
Hague commissioner Bredemeijer doesn’t want to wait any longer. Meanwhile, he has initiated his own changes: the number of youth care providers is drastically decreasing and the municipality will focus more on help that is good and needed.
“The revenue model should no longer be central, but a good and needed help. We have to do this. To keep the system bearable, but especially for our children.”
