Youth care and child protection

Youth care and child protection bodies

There are several types of care available:

• help with raising children;
• child protection;
• youth probation;
• mental health care for youths.

Centres for Youth and Family

All municipalities have a Centre for Youth and Family. These centres provide advice on raising children and, when needed, guide parents and children into other areas of the youth care system.

Advice and Contact Centre for Child Abuse

Anyone who suspects that a child is being abused can report this (anonymously) to the Contact Centre for Child Abuse.

Care and Advice teams

Schools are often the first place where children with problems are identified. When an educator suspects a child need professional help, he or she can contact a Care and Advice team. Care and Advice teams, consisting of teachers, youth care professionals, social workers, police and (depending on the situation) other professionals, try to address these problems at an early stage. Every school is obliged to have a Care and Advice team.

Council for Child Protection

When a child is being abused or neglected, legal steps can be taken to safeguard the interests of the child. The Council for Child Protection decides on which steps to take, based on information provided by the Bureau’s for Youth Care and the Advice and Contact Centre for Child Abuse. Possible steps include:

• placing a child under the supervision of a family guardian;
• removing a child from parental custody.

When the Council decides on an approach, a judge has to ratify the decision in court. During these proceedings, the child will also be allowed to speak, if he or she is 12 years or older. The parents will be heard too.