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Netherlands Netherlands Province of Noord-Brabant

« Province of Noord-Brabant » is contributing to the ONE in FIVE Campaign - a pan-European campaign coordinated by the Council of Europe « Partner city »

Province of Noord-Brabant

The Province of Noord-Brabant is one of the 12 Dutch provinces. Noord-Brabant is situated in the south of the Netherlands along the border with Belgium. In the Netherlands, provincial governments constitute the link between the municipalities and the state, and are therefore sometimes referred to as mid-tier administration. Provincial governments carry out the tasks that lie outside the municipalities’ mandate, but are too local or regional for the state to properly assess the interests concerned.

Provincial core tasks focus on spatial planning, the economy, the environment and mobility. In Noord-Brabant culture has also been defined as a core task.

Up to the close of 2014, the provincial governments in the Netherlands were responsible for the implementation of jeugdzorg [youth care]. The latter is called in if someone suffers from serious parenting and personal development issues. Alongside setting up and implementing policy with regard to youth care, the provincial government was also responsible for, among other things, subsidising institutions that provide various forms of aid such as home help, residential care, foster care, youth protection, youth probation and the Advies- en Meldpunt Kindermishandeling [advice and reporting centre for child abuse and neglect] (AMK).

As of 1 January 2015, the provincial government has transferred its youth care responsibilities to the municipalities (Transitie Jeugdzorg [youth care transition]). This has taken place across the country as a result of national decision making. One of the transition’s main objectives is to be able to provide care closer to people’s locations. Furthermore, the idea is that municipalities will be able to work more effectively and cheaply. From 2015 on they will take care of all support and care for children, young people and parents/guardians/educators. This will also have consequences for the way aid is organised. For instance, the Advies- en Meldpunt Kindermishandeling has now been incorporated into Veilig Thuis, het Advies- en Meldpunt Huiselijk geweld en Kindermishandeling [safe home, the abuse and reporting centre for domestic & child abuse and neglect].

To make the transition as smooth as possible and to prepare municipalities for their new tasks, the provincial government has supported them by, where possible:

  • Bringing municipalities, care providers and Bureau Jeugdzorg [youth care agency] together, organising and facilitating consultation;
  • Putting important subjects on the agenda;
  • Investing in meticulous knowledge and information transfer to municipalities.

The provincial government is currently detailing the proposal to set up a Kennisbank 3 Transities [3 transitions knowledge bank]. This concerns the decentralisation of care, participation and youth as well as the role the provincial government can play in maintaining, innovating and disseminating knowledge and expertise.

Local/Regional authorities
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No of inhabitants
2415946 inhabitants