Targeted support offered to victims of the childcare benefits scandal with children taken into care
Victims of the childcare benefits scandal whose children were also involuntarily taken into care will receive a letter from Minister Franc Weerwind today with information regarding additional support, such as assistance from the Support Team and free legal aid. With this targeted support programme, the government aims to assist a larger group of affected parents in improving their family situation. By comparing data from 2005, the minister can reach these parents in a more targeted manner.
Minister Weerwind: "The injustice done to those affected by the childcare benefit scandal continues to weigh on my mind. As a government, we must take responsibility for the role the childcare benefits scandal may have played in placement into care. It is vital that aggrieved parents and children are aware of the help and support available to them, such as the Support Team. That is why I am now offering targeted support to a wider group of parents with this letter."
Thanks to the Temporary Act on the Exchange of Personal Data UHP KOT introduced on 1 July 2023, it is possible to compare personal data from the Tax and Customs Administration/Benefit, the Child Care and Protection Board and the courts within a secure environment. This comparison identified 1,819 children of 1,168 aggrieved parents who have been affected by placement into care.
Further analysis should reveal whether there are more aggrieved parents from the child support affair who have faced placement into care in addition to these 1,168 parents. Not every court records rulings in the same way, so this requires further analysis. This additional group of parents will receive a letter offering support at the earliest opportunity. Altogether, this is presumably a larger group of children of aggrieved parents than previously reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). This is due to the new comparison being made with data from 2005, where CBS previously used data from 2015.
Parents who have now come forward will receive the letter offering assistance and support. This assistance is provided by the Support Team, among others. This team assists aggrieved parents and children with reunification, housing and financial issues. Since its inception in April 2022, 500 parents have already reported to the Support Team.