Youth assistance

What is it?

The municipality must provide youth assistance to children and parents who need it. This includes problems related to growing up or parenting. 

How does it work?

The municipality can offer you or your child general assistance. You can receive this general assistance immediately. The municipality can also offer you or your child specific assistance. For specific assistance, you must submit an application using the form provided by the municipality.

The municipality offers the following forms of youth assistance: 

Personal care

For children up to the age of 18 who are unable to care for themselves or cannot do so adequately. For example, in the case of:

washing, brushing teeth, and shaving
dressing and undressing or applying prostheses
eating and drinking or taking medication
going to the toilet (setting up a urinal, changing incontinence materials)
changing from a lying position to a sitting position

Someone else does this for them. Where possible, your child learns to do this themselves.

Guidance

For children up to the age of 18 who are unable or insufficiently able to cope with their disability or condition. The aim is for your child to become as independent as possible through individual or group counseling. The counseling can also focus on other family members or on daily travel to the day care center. Counseling is often part of a youth assistance package.

Stay in an institution

For children up to the age of 18 with a disability, condition, or disorder. The municipality arranges temporary assistance and care in an institution. The institution is a protected living environment where supervision is always available. 

Conditions for supervision or stay in an institution

Your child may be eligible for support or placement in an institution in the following cases:

problems growing up or raising children
a (mild) intellectual disability
a sensory impairment (such as deafness or blindness)
a physical disability
a somatic disorder (such as a chronic illness)
a mental illness or disorder

Foster care: voluntary or through the courts

For children up to the age of 18 who can no longer live at home. The municipality will arrange for foster parents to take care of your child. This can also be just on weekends, during holidays, or during the day. The foster parents will then take care of your child and raise your son or daughter. Your child will stay with the foster parents for as long as necessary. 

In voluntary foster care, you consult with your child and social workers to decide whether your child will live with foster parents.
If the judge decides that foster care is necessary, your consent is not always required. The judge will determine how long your child will stay with the foster parents.

What should I do?

If you have a child for whom you need assistance, please report this to the municipality.
You provide the municipality with all the information needed to determine what help your child needs.
You will have a meeting with the municipality and experts to discuss your child's situation. During this meeting, you will indicate what kind of help you need.
A few days after the interview, you will receive a report from the municipality. This report will state whether you are eligible for assistance and, if so, what kind.
If you are eligible for specific assistance, you can apply for it. You will receive a form from the municipality for this purpose. The municipality will decide whether you will receive the specific assistance.
During the application process, the municipality will let you know whether you are eligible for a personal budget (pgb). With this pgb, you can purchase the specific youth assistance yourself.

How long will it take?

General assistance is usually available immediately.
If you have submitted a request for specific assistance, you will be notified as soon as possible whether you will receive the assistance. There are currently waiting times. You will have to wait longer than usual.

Additional information