The Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) said the government needs to provide municipalities with additional money quickly because some can no longer afford highly expensive, individualized youth care. These arrangements include one-to-one guidance for young people in holiday homes with specialized care. Son en Breugel said its youth care costs had become so high that it planned to raise property tax by 48 percent; the municipality spends about €7 million a year on youth care, including €1.5 million for its four most expensive clients. Other municipalities, including Kaag en Braassem, Assen and Lopik, also face severe financial pressure, with Assen expecting to spend more than €1 million on one young person this year and Lopik fearing bankruptcy.

The high costs are linked in part to the planned closure of closed youth care by 2030. Young people with severe behavioural problems are instead being placed in expensive, specialized arrangements, while regular care offers limited alternatives. The VNG said smaller municipalities also often lack the necessary expertise and capacity. It called for the government to take control and contribute financially, warning that municipalities may otherwise have to postpone or cut other services. In Son en Breugel, the alderman said the municipality’s reserves were being depleted and that the youth centre could be at risk if the tax increase proved insufficient. National figures cited in the account said that 2 percent of young people account for 23 percent of youth care spending, while more than 760 young people receive one-to-one guidance.