WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao Addiction Care Foundation (Stichting Verslavingszorg Curaçao) has submitted its annual report to Parliament, revealing that it received more than 350 new addiction-related referrals in 2025 while warning that staff shortages and subsidy cuts are contributing to growing waiting times for treatment.
According to the report, individuals seeking help now wait an average of three months for an initial diagnosis. The foundation said the delays are having a negative impact, with some people abandoning their search for treatment because they become discouraged while waiting.
Despite these challenges, the organization reported that it continued to provide extensive addiction care services throughout the year.
More than 170 individual and group treatment programs were carried out during 2025. Over 140 people sought assistance on their own initiative, while others were referred through schools, general practitioners, or justice-related networks.
The foundation also reported that its Speransa addiction treatment clinic operated at nearly full capacity, with an occupancy rate of 96 percent during the year.
One of the report's notable achievements was a significant increase in outreach to people struggling with addiction who are living on the streets, particularly in the Bándariba region.
Through the deployment of a dedicated neighborhood outreach bus and street outreach workers, the foundation increased the amount of basic care provided in the area by more than 180 percent compared with previous levels.
While highlighting these accomplishments, the foundation reiterated that additional staffing and sustainable funding will be needed to reduce waiting times and ensure that people seeking addiction treatment receive timely care before they lose the motivation to continue with the process.