Veilig Thuis seeks €70m as waiting lists grow
The 25 organisations say demand for advice and reports is growing faster than their capacity.
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The 25 Veilig Thuis organisations are asking the government and the Lower House (Tweede Kamer) for an additional €70 million over the next three years. According to the National Veilig Thuis Network, waiting lists are growing, leaving too little capacity for prevention and cooperation with other support providers.
Veilig Thuis says the limits of current capacity have been reached. With the additional funding, the organisations want both to strengthen day-to-day operations and to accelerate reform of youth protection and the approach to domestic violence.
According to the National Veilig Thuis Network, the number of requests for advice has risen sharply over five years. In 2020, 122,050 pieces of advice were provided; in 2025, the figure was 178,925. The number of reports rose over the same period from 127,415 to 136,325.
The figures for 2025 are provisional. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) previously reported that Veilig Thuis registered 5 per cent more reports and 16 per cent more requests for advice that year than in 2024. A report means that Veilig Thuis assumes responsibility for monitoring safety; in the case of advice, the person seeking it is given guidance on how to proceed independently.
According to Veilig Thuis, the increase does not automatically mean that domestic violence itself has risen to the same extent. The organisation points out that members of the public and professionals may have learned to find it sooner. CBS cites awareness campaigns, a revamped website and improved access to the chat service as possible explanations.
The organisations say staff are mainly occupied with reports, acute situations and monitoring waiting lists. As a result, they say, there is barely any time left to provide early advice, identify recurring patterns and work with the police, the Public Prosecution Service, councils and care institutions.
In an April survey, 24 of the 25 regional organisations said they expected insufficient funding for 2027 if growth continued. Veilig Thuis is financed largely through councils. The requested amount is therefore a political choice on top of existing decentralised funds, not an already approved scheme.
The network says acute insecurity is dealt with immediately, but other families may have to wait. It is not yet known whether the government and the House will make the money available or how it will be distributed.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Veilig Thuis is requesting an additional €70 million for three years.
- The registered numbers of requests for advice and reports rose in 2025.
- Responsibility for funding and organising support services lies to a significant extent with councils.
Left
Arguments The government must guarantee sufficient public capacity to protect people from domestic violence and child abuse. Waiting for help can exacerbate existing inequality, because not every family can arrange alternative support independently.
Values Collective responsibility, equal access and protection of vulnerable people.
Consequences More structural funding could ease waiting lists and staff pressure, but would require additional public resources and clear national standards.
Centre
Arguments Additional funding may be necessary, but it should be linked to measurable objectives, better cooperation and a clear division of responsibilities between central government and councils. It must first be clear which bottlenecks need to be resolved nationally and which regionally.
Values Practicality, efficiency and institutional responsibility.
Consequences A temporary investment could provide quick relief, but without reform of the support chain, waiting lists could return.
Right
Arguments The government must guarantee acute safety, but organisations and councils must also demonstrate that additional funding is being spent efficiently. More and more tasks should not be added to the same providers without prioritisation.
Values Responsible budgeting, a clear division of responsibilities and individual responsibility where possible.
Consequences Targeted funding may be more effective than a broad structural increase, but overly tight budgets could put access to support under further pressure.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s central points are based on the current call from the National Veilig Thuis Network and on CBS figures for 2025. The text clearly distinguishes between registered contacts and the unknown development of actual violence.
- confirmed The 25 Veilig Thuis organisations are requesting €70 million for the next three years. — This is stated in the joint call by the National Veilig Thuis Network. source
- confirmed The number of requests for advice rose from 122,050 in 2020 to 178,925 in 2025. — The figures are provided by Veilig Thuis. source
- confirmed In 2025 there were 136,325 reports and approximately 179,000 requests for advice. — CBS published these provisional figures. source
- confirmed A report and a request for advice have different meanings at Veilig Thuis. — CBS describes the distinction between the two forms of contact. source
- confirmed Funding for Veilig Thuis is largely a decentralised responsibility. — This is stated in the response to parliamentary questions about tackling domestic violence. source
Editor's note
The joint call for €70 million, the provisional figures for 2025 and the financing responsibility of councils are certain. It is uncertain whether the rise in requests for advice points to more violence or mainly to people seeking help earlier; the sources give no definitive judgement on this.Sources
- Veilig Thuis luidt noodklok: Zo kunnen we niet verder — Landelijk Netwerk Veilig Thuis
- Opnieuw meer meldingen en adviezen Veilig Thuis — CBS
- Beantwoording vragen over de aanpak van huiselijk geweld — Tweede Kamer
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „veilig thuis”
- NU.nl — „veilig thuis”
- De Telegraaf — „veilig thuis”