On this page

1. Mechanisms and actors

Mechanisms and actors

Mechanisms and actors

There is a cross-sectorial inter-ministerial approach and cooperation between the staff members youth from the aforementioned four ministries (par. 1.2) on the subject of youth: 

• Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport: Overall youth policy and most specialized services for families and children. The minister is responsible for all domains of the Ministry. The State Secretary also has Youth in his portfolio. 

• Ministry of Security and Justice: juvenile justice policy and related institutions.

• Ministry of Education, Culture and Science: all educational matters in the Netherlands.

• Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment: labour related measures, including the Childcare Act for the childcare services and playgroups.

This cooperation is not formalized and does not have a legal framework. On an average of once every two weeks informal meetings take place. Staff members of the four ministries participate on a voluntary basis, inform each other and exchange information about trending youth topics. It is a follow up of the cooperation they already had,  when there was a ministry for Youth and Family in the Netherlands (2007-2010).

During meetings staff members decide together on policy matters and set the agenda in youth matters. At every meeting one of the participants gives a presentation about a current subject. There is opportunity for discussion and asking questions.

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport has the lead. This is not hierarchal. There is a contact person at the ministry who prepares the meetings. It is considered effective for networking. Trending topics are for example the transition of youth care, youth help, institutional youth care and youth policy information.

Information from the national government

The national government has system responsibility in accordance with the Child and Youth Act. This also concerns the provision of public information and facilitation on the subject of youth matters. On the website of the national government (in Dutch: Rijksoverheid) information is given about youth policy in the Netherlands. One category of themes concerns youth and family  (in Dutch: familie, jeugd en gezin) and offers 24 subjects on the theme. Among them Youth protection, which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Security and Justice, and Youth care, which is the joined responsibility of both the Ministry of Security and Justice and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

Co-operation on facts and figures

The  Child and Youth Act (2015) rules that municipalities have policy information at their disposal to be able to form their own youth policy.  The National Youth Monitor gives policy information and an insight into the use of youth care and the application of youth protection and youth rehabilitation.

Each theme offers research figures about various subjects. The health and welfare theme for example offers information about the number of children that smoke or are overweight. The data are categorized according to age, sexe and origin or region.

The National Youth monitor is commissioned by the ministries for:

• Health, Welfare and Sports
• Education, Culture and Science
• Social Affairs and Employment
• Security and Justice

Statistics Netherlands CBS executes the National Youth monitor and draws up a yearly report.