News item | 09-12-2024 | 5:15 PM
Intercountry adoption will be carefully phased out over a period of six years. In this way, countries of origin and permit holders can prepare for the situation in which the Netherlands stops intercountry adoption. In addition, this phase-out period gives prospective adoptive parents a reasonable period to continue their adoption procedure. With this phase-out plan, State Secretary Struycken is implementing the motion adopted by the House of Representatives on April 16 to phase out intercountry adoption. This motion follows the Joustra Committee report from 2021, which established that even in a more stringent system, the risk of abuse cannot be ruled out.
The House’s starting point for stopping intercountry adoption is that intercountry adoption is no longer a sustainable solution to protect the interests of children. The interests of children are best served when they can grow up in a safe environment in their own country, region or culture.
State Secretary Struycken: “In recent months it has become clear to me that adoption evokes a wide range of emotions and that this subject has different perspectives. In developing the phase-out plan, the interests of all involved have been taken into account, especially the interests of the child. The phase-out plan will provide clarity for all involved and intercountry adoption will be phased out in a careful manner.”
Phase-out period
Over a period of six years, countries with which the Netherlands has an adoption relationship will be given sufficient time to carefully complete procedures where children are already in the picture for adoption. Because careful reduction is not feasible within the current contract, permit holders will be given the option to extend their permit once more for another five years. This allows them to submit a matching proposal for an adoption to the Central Authority until May 1, 2030. At the end of 2030, the Central Authority will take over any final tasks from the license holders.
Prospective adoptive parents
It is important for prospective adoptive parents that there is clarity. The process they go through is usually long and emotional. All prospective adoptive parents who are currently in an adoption procedure will be given the opportunity to continue this procedure during the phasing out. Given the limited number of adoptions per year, the chance of realizing an adoption for some of these prospective adoptive parents is very small. This mainly concerns prospective adoptive parents who are at the beginning of the adoption process.
Follow-up process
The decision to end intercountry adoption makes it necessary to replace the Adoption of Foreign Children for Adoption Act (Wobka) with amended legislation and regulations. The new law will come into effect no later than the end of the phase-out period and contains, among other things, regulations to ensure that adoption files are carefully transferred to the National Archives. During the phase-out period, the Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate and the Ministry of Justice and Security monitor the quality of the adoption procedures. Moreover, even after 2030, structural attention will continue to be paid to support and aftercare for adoptees and adoptive parents.