New research: number of children in youth care has fallen sharply
In de media image: Simao Moreira via Pexels
New research from Leiden University shows that the number of children in youth care fell by 20 percent between 2025 and 2024. Lead researcher Renate Buisman and Nina van Capelleveen discuss this in Trouw.
Explaining the decline
Leiden University carried out the research into child protection on behalf of the Scientific Research and Data Centre (WODC), the national knowledge institute for the rule of law. Researchers observed a twenty percent decline over a ten-year period. They then examined the reasons behind this decline. Their findings revealed that, in particular, more severe measures such as coercive measures are being used less frequently. Instead, voluntary support for families has taken on a greater role in many places.