Too expensive, says Kabinet. No political will, according to opposition: multi -parenting is not legally possible

The political discussion about multi -parenting has been dragging on for years and could use a breakthrough, but the impasse continues due to a cabinet decision this week. State Secretary Teun Struycken (Legal Protection, NSC) will not work on an arrangement that makes it possible for more than two parents to have authority over their children. The costs of the government “are larger than we had foreseen,” Struycken said in the Chamber on Wednesday. He also foreseen problems with implementation.

It led to disappointment in part of the opposition, which does not find the argumentation of Struycken credible and thinks that this right -wing coalition simply lacks the political will to arrange it.

The way in which parenthood is designed in the Netherlands has changed for years. More and more often children grow up in families with more than two educators, such as rainbow families, composite families and within co-parenting. Nevertheless, the law still recognizes only two parents per child, which, according to interest groups such as COC Nederland and the Foundation, more than desirably leads to all kinds of practical problems. They point out that not all parents can now make decisions about, for example, medical interventions or school matters.

Already in 2016, the State Committee on Parenting Rewring advised to make multi -parenting legally possible, but since then successive cabinets have been hesitant. While also recently reports that such a scheme can have benefits, especially for children who grow up in a family with more than two parents from birth.

“Why all those investigations, if nothing happens with it?” VVD MP Ingrid Michon-Derkzen wondered in the debate. D66’er Joost faster pointed out that one in five children in such families experiences legal bottlenecks.

In the Lower House there are traditionally two camps when it comes to issues such as multi -parenting: left -wing and liberal parties are often against, Christian and conservative parties because they start from a classic family with one father and one mother.

Tax authorities

Opponents of a legal regulation also fear that it entails too much complexity and can have negative consequences for children. They point to legal and practical problems, such as conflicts between parents.

The Child Protection Board previously warned that recognizing several parents can lead to more legal proceedings and loyalty conflicts in children. Implementing agencies such as the Tax Authorities and Education Executive Agency (DUO) also indicate that the scheme has a major impact on allowances, child benefits and student finance. The introduction would entail considerable costs, while there is currently no budget reserved.

State Secretary Struycken also indicated in the debate that a legal regulation for multi -parenting is not in the coalition agreement and is expensive and complex. A proponent like Joost faster suggested that this is not the whole story. “Although the State Secretary says it is a matter of money, it seems like a political choice to stop.” Michiel van Nispen (SP) found the argument of the costs, around 5 million euros, also not convincing and asked Struycken to prepare the law. “If the problem is in implementation, can the legislation be worked out?”

Initiative

Now that the government does not want to continue with a law for multi -parenting, parties in the Lower House could try to regulate it with an initiative law in parliament. Mikal Tseeggai from GroenLinks-Pvda, one of the proponents, asked Coalition Party VVD whether the liberals would support such a law. Tseeggai pointed out that the VVD signed the Regenboogstembus agreement in the election campaign, which also includes multi-parenting. Member of Parliament Michon-Derkzen confirmed that the VVD could support such a proposal, but also said he wanted to wait.

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