Who helps you when parenting sometimes feels challenging? Questions about school, behavior, social media, or a child who is not feeling well are part of daily life for many parents. Alderman Chantal Teunissen sees how important it is that children have the opportunity to develop and that support is available when things get difficult.
Teunissens involvement in this topic partly comes from her own experience as a mother of two primary school children. “Sometimes you struggle as a parent. Then you simply don’t know what to do.” That is why she believes in normalizing and connecting. That means not making things bigger, heavier, or different than necessary. “Many things are part of a phase. It already helps a lot if you talk about it with each other. That you dare to say: I’m struggling here.”
According to her, the healthy future of the municipality depends on how children and young people are doing now. “If your children are doing well, then Overbetuwe also has a healthy future.”
Strengthening What Already Exists
Although there is much attention to mental health issues, Teunissen emphasizes that most young people are doing well. “The majority develop just fine.” The challenge, according to her, lies mainly in strengthening what already exists. Youth workers are visible in villages and schools, actively seek contact, and guide young people to activities and meeting places. “Together we offer young people the space to develop, learn new skills, and become resilient.”
Better to Prevent Than to Solve
An important goal is to prevent simple problems from escalating into serious care. “The sooner you intervene, the smaller the chance that something escalates,” says Teunissen. That is why in recent years we have focused on a strong social foundation for youth. We have built a strong network around youth with youth workers, school social workers, internal school counselors, youth practice supporters at the GP, and our Social Team Overbetuwe (STO). They work well together to support the development of young people. “That helps a large part of the youth in time, without them immediately entering a heavy care trajectory.”
Parents also play a very important role. That is why for a few years now there have been parent evenings on topics such as substance use, social media, and talking with your teenager. These parenting evenings, organized by the municipality together with partners, are often fully booked. “Then you notice how much need there is to share experiences and support each other. That is exactly what we want to encourage.”
Parenting Together
According to Teunissen, healthy growing up is never just a task for parents. “Parenting is done together. Children grow up in a street, a neighborhood, and a village. We all have a role in that.” That role can be small but mean a lot to a young person. Think of a coach at a sports club, a youth worker, a neighbor who pays attention to what is going on. “We ask more and more from that social foundation, but then we also have to ensure that people know where to turn.”
That is why the municipality invests in a good social map on OnsOverbetuwe.nl. This is an overview of organizations, associations, initiatives, and facilities that residents can turn to for care, welfare, volunteering, and social support. Residents can also always contact the STO with questions about what help or support is available within the municipality. “We keep access to help and support clear and low-threshold. Because if you don’t know what is there, you can’t use it.”
Continuing to Invest in What Works
The challenges are great. There are fewer care providers, and costs are increasing. “That is why it is so important to prevent major problems and ensure that the social foundation, the network around residents, remains strong. The more children grow up healthy, the less heavy care is needed later. And we see that it helps. The networks around youth are getting stronger.”
Her call is clear and hopeful. “Let’s not make parenting more complicated than necessary. Keep talking to each other. Look out for each other. And know that no one has to do it alone.”
More information about growing up and parenting can be found at www.sociaalteamoverbetuwe.nl/opgroeien and www.onsoverbetuwe.nl
“If your children are doing well, then Overbetuwe also has a healthy future.”
“Many things are part of a phase. It already helps a lot if you talk about it with each other.”
About this Article Series
What does the municipality of Overbetuwe actually do, and why? In this article series, the executive board takes residents along in the choices and initiatives that contribute to a pleasant and future-proof municipality. Each time one theme is central, with concrete examples from practice. This article is about healthy growing up, prevention, and a strong social foundation for youth and young people.