Since 1 November 2024, Anouk Goemans has been appointed professor by special appointment of Youth services and child protection from a legal and developmental perspective. The chair is made possible Stichting Steunfonds Pro Juventute. Anouk works one day at the Department of Child Law and Health Law (Faculty of Law), and one day at the Institute of Education and Child Studies (Faculty of Social Sciences). Additionally, she works three days a week as a behavioral scientist and researcher at Jeugdbescherming west, a certified agency for child protection. Her goal is to bridge research and practice to support children in vulnerable families as effectively as possible.

More information about Anouk Goemans

Research

Anouk conducts research on various themes within youth services and child protection. Her focus is on decision-making, permanency planning, reunification, and participation.

• The Voice of the child in out-of-home placements (starting: fall 2025): In collaboration with Prof. Dr. Mariëlle Bruning and Prof. Dr. Lenneke Alink, Anouk will investigate, with support from the LUF Kinderfonds, how children can feel safe and heard during an out-of-home placement and how a support figure can help.
• Permanency planning (expected start fall 2025): Together with Prof. Dr. Mariëlle Bruning and Prof. Dr. Lenneke Alink, we will conduct research on how to determine the perspective of out-of-home placed children in a valid, reliable, and transparent manner. And how we do this together with the parents and youth involved.
• Contact after out-of-home placement (expected start fall 2025): Together with Dr. Daisy Smeets, Dr. Sabine van der Asdonk, Prof. Dr. Johan Vanderfaeillie (VUB), and Prof. Dr. Frank van Holen (VUB), we will conduct a vignette study on decision-making by professionals regarding contact between parents and children after out-of-home placement.
• Participation of parents and children in an emergency out-of-home placement order (2025): Together with Prof. Dr. Mariëlle Bruning, Jolien van Boven, and two master's students in Child Law, we are conducting research in collaboration with Jeugdbescherming west on the participation of parents and children in an emergency out-of-home placement order.

Academic Career

• Assistant Professor, Forensic Family and Youth Care Studies, Leiden University (2017-2020)
• Postdoc at University College London (UCL): In 2018-2019, Anouk was a visiting research fellow at the Developmental Risk and Resilience Unit of UCL, supported by an NWO Rubicon grant. Anouk conducted research on neurocognitive risk factors for bullying in maltreated children.
• PhD, Youth Care, Leiden University (2012-2017): Title of dissertation: The development of children in foster care.
• MSc, Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University (2010-2011), cum laude: Obtained NVO basic diagnostic registration.

Teaching

Anouk Goemans holds a University Teaching Qualification (BKO) since 2018 and gives guest lectures within the Education and Child Studies program and the master's program in Child Law, as well as Leiden University's Master of Laws in International Children's Rights (LL.M.). Additionally, she supervises master's students in their graduation research. Anouk also teaches the Youth Care module within the two-year post-master BIG program for ‘Orthopedagoog-Generalisten’ at the RINO Group in Utrecht.

Additional Roles

Anouk works three days a week as a behavioral scientist and researcher at Jeugdbescherming west, a certified child protection agency.

Publications