Your child turns 18: what do you need to arrange?.

Your child turns 18: what do you need to arrange?.

When your child turns 18, it is a special milestone. Your child is now an adult. You need to consider many things, especially if your child is still at school. What exactly changes on the 18th birthday? And what do you as a parent still need to arrange?

Still at school, but no compulsory education 

From 18 years old, the qualification obligation ends. This means your child is no longer required by law to attend school, even if they have not yet earned a starting qualification. Most children are still at school or study when they turn 18. At secondary school, your child is often in the middle of exam year, and at mbo it is busy with learning and studying. 

Your child is no longer legally obliged to attend school, but finishing or attending school or training is of course important. Schools also keep setting rules for attendance and effort. It is important your child knows what the school expects. 

Exams

For many secondary school students, their 18th birthday falls in the exam year. Although compulsory education then ends, the exam itself changes little: the rules for retaking, passing, or failing stay the same. For mbo students, exams are often divided over multiple parts spread over the year.

Your child gains more independence from 18 years old. This means among other things:

• Signing official documents themselves
• Communicating with the school by themselves for questions or concerns
• Solving problems independently, for example at the internship place

As a parent, you can of course continue to think along and support, but the responsibility legally shifts more and more to your child.

Studying: what should you arrange? 

Many children start studying when they turn 18. Then several things need to be arranged and applied for. Think about student finance, student public transport card, or student room. Do you want a handy overview adjusted to your situation? Then check the government website and answer the questions. This way you see exactly what you or your child need to arrange. 

Finances: what changes? 

Financially, many things change when your child turns 18. Child benefit stops automatically, and paying fully for health insurance becomes mandatory. Luckily, there are also schemes that apply especially to schoolchildren and students from 18 years old. 

For students in secondary education, there is the so-called student allowance, a benefit via DUO that your child must apply for themselves. This money can be kept by your child; it is not a loan. This allowance consists of a fixed basic contribution and (depending on the parents’ income) an additional contribution. Your child may be eligible for this as long as they attend full-time education at vmbo, havo, vwo, vso, or vavo. 

Is your child at mbo? Then there is a right to student finance with a BOL course: a combination of basic loan, supplementary grant, student travel product, and possibly an extra loan. For a BBL course (where your child works and studies), this does not apply. Your child usually then receives a salary from the employer but no travel card or grant. 

Do you want to know more about other allowances your child can receive from 18 years old? Read more about this on the Tax Authority website. 

Privacy, duty of care and participation: what can you still do as a parent? 

A less visible but just as important change when your child turns 18 is that your child becomes responsible for contact with school and decisions about education. You as a parent no longer have automatic rights to information from the school. 

This can take some getting used to, especially if you are used to being very involved in your child’s education. Fortunately, you can keep discussing this with your child. Also, in youth care or support via the Partnership Tailored Education, only your child will now be involved in meetings and decisions. 

If your child wants you to still participate in conversations at school, your child can give written permission. 

What do you still have to do as a parent? 

Although the responsibility will mostly lie with your child, you remain very important as a parent. You can help remind your child about deadlines, think along with choices, or help with complicated forms. 

Especially in mbo, where your child often has to be more independent, things can sometimes go too fast or be too much. It helps if you sometimes look together at the agenda, planning, and mail from DUO or school. It can also be nice to make budget plans with your child so they learn to manage money.