UN experts concerned over racial bias in Dutch child welfare system

In May, police took the children into care, including a breastfeeding infant – reportedly without “duly considering their best interests, preserving the family structure or first providing instructions on how to combat problems in the home,” the experts said.

“This family separation has caused immense trauma and psychological damage and we are deeply troubled about the impact on the children’s physical and mental wellbeing,” said E. Tendayi Achiume, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and Michal Balcerzak, Chairperson of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent.

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ADOPTED KIDS SUE DUTCH GOV'T OVER ABUSES IN THE '80S

Adopted children from Sri Lanka and Indonesia filed a lawsuit against the Dutch government over errors in their adoption procedures in the 1980's. They want the government to compensate the high costs they're incurring in the search for their origin and biological parents, according to a Zembla broadcast on Wednesday, NU.nl reports.

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Child abuse reporting system leads to parents being wrongly accused

A requirement for doctors to log all suspected child abuse cases has led to a significant rise in parents being wrongly accused.

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DUTCH DOCTORS OFTEN MISDIAGNOSE CHILD ABUSE: REPORT

A mandatory questionnaire Dutch doctors have to fill in to detect child abuse very often leads to false accusations, according to medical researcher Maartje Schouten. In more than 9 out of 10 cases in which the questionnaire indicates child abuse, the accusations are unfounded, she said to NOS.


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NEW BILL TO GIVE UNMARRIED FATHERS EQUAL RIGHTS

The VVD and D66 are calling for unmarried fathers to have the same rights as other parents in a newly submitted legislative proposal. According to the parties, many parents do not know about the extra paperwork unmarried fathers have to complete if they want custody of their child, NU.nl reports.

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Rotterdam calls for compulsory contraception for ‘incompetent’ mothers

Rotterdam city council has called for mothers who are judged incapable of raising children to be given compulsory contraception by court order.

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INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED INTO ABUSE IN FOSTER HOMES, YOUTH CARE

The government is launching a full investigation into physical abuse of children who were removed from their homes by child welfare. The investigation, launched based on the advice of the De Winter committee, will span from 1945 until present.

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TEN PERCENT OF DUTCH KIDS IN CHILD WELFARE

More than 356 thousand kids received some form of help from child welfare last year. That is 10 percent of all kids in the Netherlands, according to Statistics Netherlands on Friday. This help ranged from counseling for kids with mental health problems to educational guidance for kids with learning disabilities.

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There was ‘systematic abuse’ in children’s homes, says commission chairman

There was ‘systematic abuse’ in children’s homes, says commission chairman

Dozens of people who say they were abused while living with foster families or in children’s homes have contacted a government commission investigating child social services.

Dutch family is still fighting the system

Dutch family is still fighting the system

A shocking Continental case closely parallels what goes on in our own child protection system

Sexual abuse cases among children in care double

Sexual abuse cases among children in care double

The number of cases of sexual abuse among children in care has doubled in a year, according to the authority responsible for inspecting council care services.

Dutch social workers catch the English disease

Dutch social workers catch the English disease

Social workers are ripping families apart for no good reason in Holland but there such travesties of justice can be reported

Turkish child fostered by Dutch lesbians sparks diplomatic row

Turkish child fostered by Dutch lesbians sparks diplomatic row


A nine-year-old boy in the Netherlands is at the centre of a row between Turkey and European countries over non-Muslims fostering Muslim children and eroding their "moral values and religious beliefs".

Dutch Turks to protest against lesbian couple fostering Turkish child

Dutch Turks to protest against lesbian couple fostering Turkish child

Several Turks living in The Netherlands are planning protests against the care of Turkish foster children in Dutch homosexual or Christian families, Dutch media reported on Tuesday.

Lesbian couple go into hiding with Turkish foster child

Lesbian couple go into hiding with Turkish foster child


A lesbian couple and their nine-year-old foster child have gone into hiding because of the row in Turkey about Muslim children being cared for by gay or Christian couples.

Ethiopian Adoptee Wins Legal Case to Revoke Adoption

Ethiopian Adoptee Wins Legal Case to Revoke Adoption

An Ethiopian court has revoked the adoption of a girl by a family in the Netherlands. This is the first time a foreign adoption has been revoked in Ethiopia’s long history of overseas adoption.

Social workers criticised over death of young brothers

Social workers criticised over death of young brothers


An official report into the murder of two young boys by their mother at the beginning of this year has criticised social workers for failing to intervene and says the senior official was 'too involved' with the family.

Children in care not protected against sexual abuse: report

Children in care not protected against sexual abuse: report


The Samson committee, which investigates cases of abuse of children placed in council care, is sending 42 files on sexual abuse to the public prosecution department.

Concern over TV reality show about foster children

Concern over TV reality show about foster children

The Dutch media has revealed plans for a television series about foster children and foster parents. The news has caused a furore here in the Netherlands.

Possible child abuse at foster home

Possible child abuse at foster home


It appears that children were being physically and mentally abused for years at a children's home in the eastern Dutch town of Nieuwleusen. Three people have filed charges with the police, according to a local paper.