Request for advice on the shortfalls in youth care

Administrative secretariat
PO Box 9033
7300 ES Apeldoorn

T: 06 2831 4935
E: adviesraadsociaaldomein@apeldoorn.nl

Date: 10 February 2025
Our reference: ASDA 2025-03

To: The Municipal Executive of Apeldoorn
CC: Astrid Lourenco

Subject: Request for advice on shortages in youth care

Dear Council,

The Apeldoorn Social Services Advisory Council (ASDA) has received a request to provide advice on the shortages in youth care.

We have taken note of the various documents and reports concerning the overspending by Youth Care. These include the AEF report, the council letters, the Schulinck Advisory Report, and the Youth Reform Agenda. At the PMA meeting on 20 March, a decision-making PMA will take place.

We realise that quick fixes to resolve the shortages that have arisen are not realistic. The call to tackle this together – through education, youth care and related therapies, and Samen055 – is very much to the council’s liking. A long-term approach is truly necessary. A broad perspective across the social sector is essential, as the Groeipijn Commission also recommends in its concrete proposals.

“It takes a village to raise a child”

To tackle the fundamental problem of the ever-increasing pressure on youth care, we will need to adopt a coherent approach to promoting the mental resilience of young people, families and society. A policy focused on prevention can ensure the optimal development of children and provide effective support for the social infrastructure. After all, factors such as poverty, housing problems, social issues and so on mean that 75% of mental health problems arise before the age of 24 and 50% before the age of 14.

All in all, this is a call to work on mental health and social skills from a collective perspective, focusing not only on young people, but on a social foundation based on connection, a small-scale approach and a group-based strategy. This places the integrated approach embraced by Apeldoorn (‘1 family, 1 plan, 1 coordinator’) more firmly within the context of a neighbourhood, local community or community-based agreement. This therefore calls for more binding agreements, shared ownership, responsibilities and guidance. But it also requires area-focused investment – right where people live and go about their daily lives. A Social Domain Act would provide a desirable, coherent framework in place of the Youth Act, the Social Support Act (WMO) and the Participation Act.

All of this stems from the realisation that there is a domino effect. For example, if poverty or housing issues are not addressed, those children will inevitably end up in the healthcare system.

Inclusive Education: prevention helps the most vulnerable children. Keep vulnerable children in school too. Liaison officers working on the ground play a vital role.

We would like to stay in touch regarding the next steps,

Kind regards,

Ewoud Remmelts
Chair of the Apeldoorn Social Services Advisory Board