Children's rights in the Netherlands: time for a long-term vision
Children express concerns about the climate, struggle with long mental health waiting times and are increasingly affected by poverty. Today on World Children's Rights Day, Eurochild is releasing its annual report on where children's rights stand in every European country. Researchers from Dynamics of Youth and the Children's Rights Collective were responsible for writing the section on the Netherlands. The opinion: "The Netherlands should develop a long-term and holistic vision for children and young people in all relevant areas."
Climate change and the environment
About 70% of Dutch children and young people are concerned about climate change. Children feel anxious and sad and lie awake worrying. Children and young people are active in the climate movement because of frustration that not enough is being done, and they want to speak out. At the administrative level, there is no law or policy to safeguard sustainable, healthy physical environments for children in the Netherlands.
Mental health
Besides climate change, children also seem to worry about an uncertain world and the housing crisis. In addition, young people experience significant performance pressure at school. Announced cuts to mental health services are causing unrest over already over-long waiting lists. Especially vulnerable children, including those from migrant backgrounds, are less likely to receive care.
Recommendations from civil society organisations
- Focus on prevention and recruit sufficient staff
- Improve collaboration between services to improve mental health care for children.
- Introduce centralised case management systems where one case manager oversees a child's mental health care across all services to maintain continuity and ensure that all aspects of the child's needs are addressed
- Reduce waiting times for specialised mental health services
- Improve data collection on children's mental health to better understand prevalence, treatment outcomes and areas in need of improvement
- Actively involve parents and carers and give them clear information about available services and care pathways.
Children in migration
By early 2023, there were some 12.5 thousand children in asylum seekers’ centres. Because there are too few locations, many refugees and asylum seekers are moved to temporary emergency shelters that are not suitable for children. In these places, there is little or no education, health care, minimal privacy and little suitable food. The Immigration Act should also include the best interests of the child so that it is in line with the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Children without residence permits should also be protected in this way, for example by abolishing the detention of children based on immigration status.
Youth care
The government programme of the new government describes measures that address youth welfare and child poverty. However, a long-term plan that has considered how children's rights will continue to be guaranteed seems to be lacking.
Child protection
Since 2015, the municipality has been responsible for youth care instead of the government. Today, almost a decade later, this transition is still hampered by inadequate funding, long waiting lists and staff shortages. The child protection system also seems to be very complex, with many organisations involved and staff changing frequently. Therefore, the question is whether national authorities are fulfilling their obligations when it comes to family reunification and legal protection of children and parents.
Child safety and well-being online
Organisations for children are concerned about the effect social media has on the state of mind of children and young people. Mobile phones are increasingly being banned in classrooms, but there is still little regulation of 'childfluencers', child exploitation and online gambling, for example in video games. Clearer and stricter rules are needed.
Education
There are no resources to implement inclusive education, which is on the agenda. The absenteeism rate has increased, as has the number of children exempted from compulsory education. Exactly how many children are being homeschooled is unclear. The bill that would oversee homeschooling seems to be stuck.
Child poverty
Child poverty is on the rise and there is a need to increase child benefits. Thus, all children should have an adequate standard of living, including in the Dutch Caribbean islands. It is a good sign that the new government has decided to continue offering free school breakfasts to schools where at least 30% of the pupils come from low-income families. The previous Dutch government was more ambitious in its targets for reducing child poverty than the current government. The Central Planning Bureau says child poverty will increase by 2028.
Recommendations by members of Eurochild
- Stop cuts to municipalities providing support to households living in poverty;
- Develop a long-term vision for children and young people and ensure their participation in the process;
- Allocate more ESF+ funds to fight child poverty.
The new government seems to give less priority to fighting child poverty than the previous government.
National action plan
Eurochild members are not yet convinced of the effectiveness of the Netherlands' National Action Plan (NAP). The Dutch NAP does not include measures to prioritise all groups of children in need. These include children from migrant backgrounds, children from single-parent families, Roma children and homeless children. "Overall, the Dutch NAP seems to be a list of activities rather than a clear plan. We are concerned about how the 2024 Dutch coalition agreement will affect the current plan. The new government seems to give less priority to fighting child poverty than the previous government."