For example, it is judged that children in distress are actually less protected since the Child Protection Measures Review Act was introduced in 2015. According to the researchers, this is also due to the fact that the government transferred responsibility for youth care to the municipalities in 2015.
The university researchers are calling on the minister to take ‘urgent action’ to improve care for vulnerable children. “In the light of human rights, such a far-reaching intervention in family life by the government can only be legitimized if the aim of this infringement, to protect the development of the child, can actually be achieved”
The director of Zorgbelang Drenthe therefore does not understand that there is nothing about youth care in the Budget Memorandum. He suspects that the subject was deliberately omitted, because the cabinet has its hands full fighting other crises. “We have confidential counselors walking around in youth care, we will continue to put their findings in the letterboxes of the ministry and the House of Representatives.”
Van Loenen continues: “The Budget Memorandum does not contain anything new about healthcare at all. The biggest problem is how the growing demand for care can be provided with an appropriate offer in the future. I do not read anything in the Budget Memorandum about how the cabinet wants to achieve this. Reference is only made to the Integral Care Agreement, which was signed by many parties last Friday, but the GPs did not sign. And their cooperation in that agreement is crucial if the agreement is to be successful.”