Two hundred Dutch children need permanent guardian
In the media image: Urszula Kaźmierczak on Unsplash
More than 200 Dutch children currently have no permanent guardian, according to research by Investico and ‘Trouw’ newspaper. Unacceptable, says Mariëlle Bruning, Professor of Children and the Law: ‘The state is responsible for these children, but no one’s taking responsibility.’
The children concerned are those whose parents have had parental authority removed by a court decision. Staff shortages mean they do not have a permanent youth protection worker to act as their guardian, monitor their safety, and take important decisions on their behalf. According to Mariëlle Bruning, this is unacceptable: ‘There must always be someone who keeps an eye on these children. That's something the Netherlands – a civilised country – must provide.’
When it becomes clear that it is unsafe for a child to return home, the court may decide to remove parental authority from the parents. Sometimes guardianship is given to someone the child knows or to a foster parent, but more often a youth protection organisation takes on this role. An employee of such an organisation then becomes the child’s regular guardian, who, among other things, monitors the child’s safety, Bruning explains. ‘Children in an institution or a foster family are especially vulnerable. That’s why it’s essential that there’s a guardian who has one-to-one contact with the child.’
According to the professor, youth protection organisations must act ‘immediately’: ‘They need to assign the first available capacity to these children. The state is responsible for these children, but no one’s taking responsibility. I believe that’s a threat to the rule of law.’
More information?
Read the full article in Trouw
Read the full article on the NOS site (in Dutch)