Organization for Youth Education & Development (OYED)

Laws Concerning Youth in The Netherlands

This document shows an overview of legislation regarding youth in the Kingdom of The Netherlands since the year 2000. It does not merely include hard laws such as government agreements and laws, but also soft laws such as parliamentary letters, roadmaps and progress reports. The list is based on the information provided by the Netherlands Youth Institute.

There are several unique features for the youth policy in The Netherlands. First of all there has been a trend of decentralization since the 1980s, with many tasks formerly performed by the National Government transferred to the provincial and local level. Furthermore, there is a distinction between general and preventive policies.
 

2013

• Third letter of amendment (2013)
  Third Letter of amendment bill on juvenile law. Setting the rules of the municipal responsibility for prevention, support, help and care to young people and parents with behavioral problems, mental problems and disorders.
• Parliamentary discussion youth law (14 October 2013)
  Letter after parliamentary discussion on youth law in response to questions and a number of amendments, thereby specifically addresses mental health and privacy of youth. Also, the Second Letter of amendment is offered.
• Response to amendments (10 October 2013)
  Letter from State Secretary Van Rijn (Ministry of Health) and State Secretary Teeven (Safety and Justice) to the Parliament with a response to the proposed amendments to the youth law bill.
• Transfer mental health of youth (10 October 2013)
  Letter from State Secretary Van Rijn (Health) to the Parliament on the transfer of Mental Health of Youth.
• Updated Youth Transition Plan (4 October 2013)
  The updated Transition Plan provides an overview of the progress of various agreements and products. The points at which the plan is updated are highlighted.
• Third report Transition Commission on System Change in Youth
  The Transition Committee on System Change in Youth (TSJ) in this report gives initial findings on the progress of the regional transition arrangements.
• Vision nationwide supervision on youth help (July 2013)
  The Youth Care Inspection and the Healthcare Inspection provide a shared vision of the (future) national supervision of youth help.
• New youth law (July 2013)
  The youth law on the municipal responsibility for prevention, support, assistance and care of young people and parents with behavioral and educational problems, mental problems and disorders.
• Roadmap transition youth care (May 2013)
  This is a revised version of the roadmap for the transition of youth care. A guide to the transition process and the milestones that come with it.
• Transform with tact (March 2013)
  In this publication handles are given to municipalities for the use of data from youth monitors. Furthermore, it discusses the redesign of the juvenile system.
• First report - Transition Committee on Systematic Changes in Youth (February 2013)
  The Committee is concerned about the pace and progress of the decentralization of youth care.

2012

• Work Plan Transition Agency Youth (14 December 2012)
  In this presentation the outline of the plan for 2013 is given.
• Three transitions, one perspective (December 2012)
  The publication "Three transitions, one perspective" contains a program management approach for the connection of the three transition processes.
• Legal issues in transition of the new youth system (15 July 2012)
  The Steering Committee (VWS, VenJ, IPO and VNG) has asked Berenschot consultants to give legal advice and report on the impact of the transition in youth care.
• Concept law text of juvenile law (18 July 2012)
  In July, the draft bill passed in consultation. The consultation closes on October 18th 2012, then ??a response on the main points will be made which outlines the responses.
• Report: Responsibility on the threshold (4 April 2012)
  Final Report of the Working Group on Transitional Measures to combat the risks of the transition of youth care. The working group examined the financial risks and the risks to staff and clients that the transition entails.
• Progress Letter: No kid on the sideline
  In this letter the State Secretary of Health and Safety and the State Secretary of Justice inform the Parliament of the choices in the further implementation of the Youth Care Act.
• Progress report: quality institute for care (12 April 2012)
  Elaboration of the organization and functions of the Quality Institute and the preparations that it makes.
• Parliamentary Letter about quality policy for the broad care for youth (2 April 2012)
  Vision of State Secretary Veldhuijzen van Zanten on the quality of broad youth care.
• Transition Agenda youth care (March 2012)
  Joint agenda of the state, Association of Dutch Municipalities and the Association of Provinces which describes how the authorities concerned will realize the transfer of the tasks and responsibilities.
• Roadmap decentralization youth care (2012)
  Overall planning of the transition process established by the Association of Dutch Municipalities.

2011

• Policy letter: No kid on the sideline (8 November 2011)
  This letter contains the main points of the new system. Municipalities must have a general care program, where children and parents can get customized care. Many municipalities already have a Centre for Youth and Children (CYC) for modest relief. If parents and children need more specialized help, the CYC will provide this.
• Transition Letter: Transition Youth Care (30 September 2011)
  There will be a new law; the Law Care for Youth, replacing the current law on child welfare and legal elements of the youth mental health and mildly mentally handicapped youth of the Health Insurance Act and the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act.

2010

• Government Agreement (30 September 2010)
  The Rutte administration indicates in the coalition agreement that the youth care in its entirety will be transferred to the municipal authorities. The new government succeeds to a large extent the views of the previous government and the Exploration on Future Youth Welfare Working Group.
• Response to the final report on the working group Exploration on Future Youth Welfare (1 September 2010)
  The Minister of Youth and Family Rouvoet and Minister of Justice Hirsch Ballin reacted in a letter to the final report of the Working Group: Exploration on Future Youth Welfare.
• Youth Welfare close at hand, Final Report of the Working Group: Exploration on Future Youth Welfare (8 May 2010)
  On November 2009, the Exploration on Future Youth Welfare Working Group was established. The aim of the study was to gain insight into the recommendations and conclusions of previous studies or those still to be carried out in the field of child welfare. The parliamentary working group spoke with experts and representatives of organizations directly involved with child welfare.
• Government vision about the future of youth and family (9 April 2010)
  The outgoing cabinet Balkenende IV on April 9, 2010 presented its vision for the future of the support and care for young people. The key words here are: empowering own strength, more support, quality care that is quick and easily available. To organize care for youth as simply as possible, the administrative responsibility will be given to the municipalities over time.

2009

• Appointments Framework 2010 - 2011, administrative agreement between the Ministry of Youth and Family and the Inter-Provincial Deliberation (11 November 2009)
  Content: within the next two years, this agreement aims to reduce demand of youth care, by engaging in more prevention and early intervention.
• Evaluation Youth Care Act (October 2009)
  Commissioned by the Ministry of Youth and Family and the Ministry of Justice, the advice and management consultancy BMC made an evaluation study on the Youth Care Act.

2007

• Policy plan Ministry for Youth and Families (September 2007)
  In 2011 there should be a Center for Youth and Family in each municipality, to support parents in the education of their children. The Centers for Youth and Families and youth care institutions are obliged to provide care for youth in some areas. There must also be a nationwide network of care and advisory teams for all age groups by 2011.
• Social Support Act (SPA)
  The municipality is responsible for five tasks identified within the local preventive youth policy: information and advice, signaling, guidance to help, educational assistance, and coordination of care.

2006

• Protocol Indication youth with psychiatric problems (31 March 2006)
  Tightening of the requirements for the referral to and indication of youth to mental health care. Bureau Jeugdzorg (Youth Care Agency) plays a leading role. The possibility of direct referral by a general practitioner, or the equivalent practitioner, to the Youth Care Agency remains.

2005

• Youth Care Act (22 April 2004)
  Arrangement of the right to, access to and funding of youth care. The Youth Care Agency decides who receives a grant under the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act. It provides civil placement in juvenile detention. Furthermore, the agency performs tasks in the context of implementing measures, juvenile probation and the Advice and Reporting Child Abuse Center. The agency will be limited opportunities for ambulatory care.

2004

• Youth Care Brigade (November 2004)
  The main task of the brigade is to identify unnecessary bureaucracy experienced by the client and child welfare institutions.
• Operation Young (November 2004)
  A partnership between the Ministries of Health, Education, Justice, Internal Affairs and Finance. The central aim is a strong, coherent and results-oriented youth policy.

2000

• Secretary Vliegenthart, speech opening the Youth Care Agency Amstelland (24 January 2000)
  Secretary Vliegenthart identifies himself as a strong advocate of a broad youth care office: providing registration, intake and screening, as well as short-term outpatient care, consultation and advice.
• Ministry of Health: Policy Framework Youth Care Act (9 June 2000)
  The Youth Care Agency at the provincial level with local branches provides, inter alia, light ambulatory care. The right to health care gives the client a right to receive indicated care (youth, youth mental health, mildly mentally handicapped youth). Furthermore, the measure execution (the (family) guardianship duties) must be placed in child welfare agency.