A special team must help the out-of-home children of families affected by the benefits affair. Minister Franc Weerwind (Legal Protection) wants to unravel the affairs of the 1115 children and take action. However, during a trial period, it has not yet been possible to get a child back with the parents.
Contact has been restored in some cases, however, between parents who were wrongly labeled as fraudulent by the tax authorities and their children who were placed out of their home. The pilot project involved 13 parents and 30 children. Almost six months after it emerged that 1115 children of benefit parents were placed out of their homes between 2015 and 2019, the so-called support team (OT) is now being set up nationwide.
Minister Franc Weerwind (legal protection) says in an interview with this site that it is necessary. ,,I think we should really stretch ourselves to help this group. The government as a whole has failed. I am shocked by the stories of mothers I have heard.”
Because the tax authorities wrongly forced parents to repay allowances, a number of them got into serious financial problems. These had major effects on their lives: many relationships ended, but hundreds of children were also removed from their homes. Whether the financial problems were the cause of those evictions is now being investigated by the inspectorates of the ministries involved. Weerwind is open to expanding that investigation with a committee, if there are still pressing questions at the end of the year when the inspectorates come up with their results.
In the meantime, the task of the support team is to help parents, but also to unravel what happened in anticipation of a custodial placement and afterwards. The CBS figures also showed that 420 children had not yet returned to the benefit parents. It will not be possible to change this in all cases, Weerwind warns. “And we’re not there yet, people have told their story so far, they want help and a listening ear.”
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According to the minister, that help is comprehensive. The team of experts – including behavioral scientists, psychologists and youth care experts – should also help with practical problems. For example, if there is a housing shortage, the minister expects that mediation will take place in a ‘creative way’. However, the team itself cannot enforce decisions, for example to allow children to return home. It can, however, establish contacts with youth care institutions, social workers and provide input.
Parents should also receive free legal aid. Weerwind is currently in talks with the trade association of lawyers to ensure that manpower is actually available – there is a shortage within the legal profession.
Watch our videos about the allowance affair here:
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