The mental health of young children remains a weak link in Belgium’s public health system, warns the Superior Health Council (CSS), which is calling for the urgent implementation of a national strategy to address the issue.
The CSS stresses that investing in early childhood is an ethical, societal, and economic necessity. Research indicates that the first years of life shape physical and mental health, academic success, and social integration later on.
The council highlights that every euro invested in early childhood could save up to three euros in adulthood, due to reduced healthcare costs, lower unemployment rates, and decreased criminality.
To tackle the issue, the council has outlined four key recommendations. Firstly, it advocates raising public awareness about the challenges of parenting and child development through targeted campaigns.
Secondly, it calls for better support for families by offering prenatal consultations and ensuring healthy living conditions—such as access to nutritious food, quality education, and play activities—with an emphasis on helping vulnerable households.
Thirdly, the council underlines the importance of strengthening training for professionals to detect early signs of psychological vulnerabilities, recommending enhanced educational programmes and improved collaboration between specialists.
Finally, it urges the creation of more accessible healthcare services through perinatal networks located close to families to provide localised support.
The CSS concludes that only a comprehensive, coordinated approach across all levels of authority can bring tangible improvements to the mental health of young children in Belgium.
