Young people in closed youth care will probably also be able to receive friends in the future and not just close relatives, foster parents or the guardian. The House of Representatives has approved amendments from D66, GroenLinks and the PvdA, among others, to a bill by State Secretary Van Ooijen (VWS) to amend the Youth Act. The Senate has yet to approve it.
Young people no longer have to go to court to obtain compensation if a complaint has been declared well-founded, according to the bill. In addition, they are entitled to pocket money and living allowance.
The legislative proposal of the State Secretary improves the position of young people in closed youth care. This includes young people with serious parenting problems. The conditions for placing such a young person in isolation are being tightened. Under no circumstances should children under 12 be placed in isolation.
A number of factions foresee that the isolation of young people will continue as long as there is a shortage of personnel. Van Ooijen said that too few staff should never be a reason to place a young person in isolation.
Problems only get bigger
Criticism of closed youth care has become increasingly loud in recent years. It is intended for children and young people who have such serious problems that they are a danger to themselves or their environment, but the psychological problems of the young people would only increase further, in particular due to the confinement of young people in solitary cells.
That is why it was decided last year to phase out the closed youth care. In 2030, young people should no longer be admitted to closed institutions. As an alternative, small-scale residential groups should be created with more personal attention.
The closed youth care was created in 2008. Before that, young people who needed a protected environment were placed in juvenile detention centers.
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