Information about health research for parents of children aged ± 10 years Region of Amstelland Youth Health Care To ensure that children grow up as healthy as possible and can develop well, the Youth Health Care, which is part of the GGD Amsterdam, offers advice, help and support. Health research While children are in primary school, their health and development are evaluated twice, at the ages of five and ten. If necessary, parents and children can rapidly access the correct help or support. In addition, we use data from the (anonymous) research to provide advice to schools and the municipality. Invitation and questionnaire Enclosed is an invitation to participate in the survey of ten-year-olds along with a questionnaire. Please fill in this questionnaire, which we would prefer to receive before the appointment so that the youth nurse can prepare for the meeting with you and your child. You can give the completed questionnaire to the group teacher in a sealed envelope. The youth nurse will collect the questionnaires from the school. If you prefer to bring the completed questionnaire to the appointment, then you can do so. The nurse consults the questionnaire during your meeting. Participating in this research is voluntary. If you do not want to participate then please let us know by phoning: 020 555 5964. Types of questions The questionnaire asks about your child’s health and whether and how frequently he or she experiences problems at school, at home or when interacting with other children. We also try to establish your child’s strengths: what is he or she good at doing? All the answers are treated with strictest confidence. What does the research involve? For the research, a doctor’s assistant comes to your child’s school and measures his or her length and weight. Your child stays dressed throughout. The youth nurse also discusses your child’s health and development and any questions you have. The completed questionnaire can be used as a guide for the discussion. To prepare for this, watch this English video about the research together with your child: ggd.amsterdam.nl/pgo10. Discussion with the teacher The research may indicate that your child has special needs or that the school has to cater for your child’s requirements in specific ways. For example, if he or she is chronically ill or has a physical disability. Perhaps your child has difficulty seeing or hearing or cannot concentrate properly. If you want, we can come by to discuss the problem(s) with you and the teacher and help you to find solutions. Processing health research data After the examination is completed, the most important results are recorded in your child’s digital youth health care file. These include the results of the eyesight and hearing tests, the length and weight, and possibly the details from the questionnaire and the follow-up research. The questionnaire itself is not stored in your child’s file. The paper questionnaire is anonymised and digitised for research. The paper version of the questionnaire is destroyed. Personal data We are extremely careful with all your data. The digital youth health care file is well protected. Only employees of the youth healthcare who are involved with your child can access the file. As the authorised guardian you have the right to access the file. If something needs to be corrected you can have your data changed or deleted. The digital youth healthcare file is subject to a statutory retention period of fifteen years. Already attended a school outside the region? If your child previously lived outside the Amsterdam/Amstelland region or attended a school there, then he or she is registered with the youth health care in that municipality. However, to properly monitor your child’s development, it is important that this information is included in this research. We need your permission to do this. If you agree, please complete the relevant form and hand it in at the same time as the questionnaire. Do you have any objections? All five- and ten-year-old children are invited to participate in this research. If you require more information or do not want your child to be included, please call the Parent and Child Team in your district: 020 555 5961. The municipality’s Youth Health Care and Social Teams In the Amstelland region all employees of youth healthcare (youth doctors, youth nurses and doctor’s assistants) work in independent teams in collaboration with the various municipal social teams. Examples are: the Brede Hoed team in Diemen, the core team in Ouder-Amstel and the social teams in Amstelveen, Aalsmeer and Uithoorn. In addition, youth health care teams work together with other General Practitioners. This ensures that you and your child receive the correct help and support quickly and from a location close to your home. Everything is done in agreement with parent(s)/care provider(s). More information Do you want to know more about youth healthcare and/or the Parent and Child Teams Amsterdam? Then please visit oktamsterdam.nl. Come by, or make an appointment by phone: 020 555 5961. We wish you and your child a great time at school! May 2017.