Veilig Thuis seeks extra funding to cut waiting lists
The 25 regional organisations say the pressure on care workers and partner organisations is becoming too great.
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Veilig Thuis is sounding the alarm over rising waiting lists and is asking politicians for extra funding. According to its umbrella organisation, available capacity is no longer sufficient to carry out all its tasks properly. Public sources contradict each other over the size of the amount requested.
The 25 regional organisations behind Veilig Thuis say they have reached the limits of their capacity. In a joint appeal, they are asking for €70 million to reduce acute pressure and waiting lists and to enable changes in the approach to domestic violence and child abuse.
According to Veilig Thuis, the number of consultations rose from 122,050 in 2020 to 178,925 in 2025. The number of reports increased from 127,415 to 136,325 over the same period. The organisation says that, in a survey, 24 of the 25 regional services indicated that they would have insufficient funding for 2027 if growth continued.
The organisations stress that acute insecurity is dealt with immediately. According to them, the problem lies mainly in the cases that subsequently need to be investigated, monitored or referred to appropriate support. As a result, staff increasingly have to set priorities while other families wait longer.
According to Veilig Thuis, cooperation with the police, the Public Prosecution Service, care workers and municipalities is also under pressure. The organisation points out that the problems do not lie solely with the reporting centre: local support services, youth care and child protection are also struggling with staff shortages, waiting times and fragmentation.
An independent ANP report describes the request differently, referring to an additional €210 million over three years, or €70 million per year. Veilig Thuis's own statement refers to €70 million for the next three years. It is unclear whether this difference is an error in the reporting or whether the amounts relate to different parts of the plan.
Veilig Thuis says it wants to use the extra money for short-term capacity as well as for a broader reform of the system. The organisations warn that change is difficult as long as almost all staff are needed to deal with daily backlogs. Politicians must therefore decide not only on funding, but also on the design of the child-protection system.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Veilig Thuis says that waiting lists and workloads are rising.
- The organisation is asking for additional financial resources.
- The support chain consists of several parties, including municipalities, the police, the Public Prosecution Service and youth care.
- The sources differ on the precise size of the amount requested.
Left
Arguments The government should invest more in Veilig Thuis and the wider child-protection system, because safety and protection should not depend on local budgets.
Values Equal access to support, protection for vulnerable families and public responsibility.
Consequences More funding could reduce waiting lists and workloads, but would require sustained public expenditure.
Centre
Arguments Additional funding may be necessary, but it should be tied to measurable objectives, better cooperation and clarity about responsibilities between central government and municipalities.
Values Efficiency, continuity and institutional care.
Consequences A combination of temporary capacity and reform could be more effective than a structural budget increase alone.
Right
Arguments Before extra money is provided, it should be clear what tasks Veilig Thuis performs, where the system is getting stuck and whether existing resources are being used efficiently.
Values Responsibility, oversight of public spending and a limited government.
Consequences Stricter prioritisation could control costs, but could also mean that some families wait longer for support.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · 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 emergency appeal, the numbers of consultations and reports, and the pressure on the support chain have been confirmed by Veilig Thuis. The difference between €70 million and €210 million is explicitly presented as an unresolved discrepancy between sources.
- confirmed The 25 regional Veilig Thuis organisations are asking for extra money. — This is stated in Veilig Thuis's joint appeal. source
- confirmed The number of consultations rose from 122,050 in 2020 to 178,925 in 2025. — Veilig Thuis cites both figures in the appeal. source
- confirmed The number of reports rose from 127,415 to 136,325. — These figures appear in the same source. source
- uncertain The amount requested is €70 million for three years. — The organisation's own statement cites this amount; an ANP report refers to €210 million over three years. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: Veilig Thuis is asking for €70 million for the next three years.Now: In its own statement, Veilig Thuis cites €70 million for the next three years, while an ANP report refers to €210 million for that period. (Public sources give different amounts.)
Editor's note
The rising figures and the appeal for extra funding have been confirmed; public sources differ on whether €70 million is the total amount or an annual sum.Sources
- Veilig Thuis luidt noodklok: ‘Zo kunnen we niet verder’ — Veilig Thuis
- Veilig Thuis vraagt 210 miljoen euro tegen ‘acute druk’ — Voorburgs Dagblad (ANP)
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „veilig thuis”
- NU.nl — „veilig thuis”
- De Telegraaf — „veilig thuis”