Hulp aan gezinnen met meervoudige en complexe problemen in de context van de jeugdhulp en jeugdbescherming

This conceptual review focuses on children and youth who grow up in families with multiple and complex problems. For them, well-being and future life prospects are often worrisome. Children growing up in these families are particularly affected by multiple stressors in the family system correlated to psychosocial and socio-economic problems of the parents. Scientific studies show that, due to the multiplicity and complexity of interrelated factors, these children are significantly more likely to experience developmental risks, emotional problems and behavioural problems. Children and young people from families with multiple and complex problems are therefore one of the primary target groups in child protection. For professionals, it is generally very challenging to make predictive assessments and far-reaching decisions in child protection. This is especially true in support services for families with multiple and complex problems, because the problems are so numerous and intertwined. Outcomes may differ for each of the family members and solving one problem may interfere with and/or reinforce another set of problems. This complicates the assessments of the family situation, participatory decision-making
and lasting solutions. Because of the heterogeneity of families addressed under this target-group label, a certain degree of flexibility is required in providing care. The question to what extent standardized decision-making procedures provide sufficient freedom to make the best use of professional expertise and personal experience of families and family members therefore needs to be addressed. Lessons learned from consequential failures in child protection (e.g. severe forms of child abuse and or death of children despite the involvement of care workers) show that causes are often various and originate from multiple levels. They should not only take into account the action of families and care workers, but also related organizational and systemic factors.