News item | 18-09-2023 | 5:00 PM
Victims of the childcare allowance affair who also had to deal with a forced out-of-home placement will receive a letter from Minister Franc Weerwind today with information about additional support, such as help from the Support Team and free legal assistance. With this targeted offer of help, the government wants to help a larger group of affected parents to improve their family situation. By comparing data from 2005, the minister can reach these parents in a targeted manner.
Minister Weerwind: “The injustice done to those affected by the benefits affair continually affects me. As a government, we must take responsibility for the role that the benefits affair may have played in an out-of-home placement. It is very important that affected parents and children know what help and support is available to them, such as the Support Team. That is why I am now making a targeted offer of help to a larger group of parents with this letter.”
Thanks to the Temporary Act on the Exchange of Personal Data UHP KOT, which was introduced on July 1, 2023, it is possible to compare personal data from the Benefits Service, the Child Protection Council and the judiciary in a secure environment. This comparison revealed 1,819 children of 1,168 affected parents who had been placed out of home.
Further research should reveal whether, in addition to these 1,168 parents, there are other parents affected by the child benefit affair who have had to deal with out-of-home placement. Not every court records judgments in the same way, which therefore requires further analysis. This additional group of parents will receive a letter with the offer of help as soon as possible. In total, this probably concerns a larger group of children of victims than CBS previously reported. This is because the new comparison was made with data from 2005, while Statistics Netherlands previously used data from 2015.
Parents who have now come forward will receive the letter with the offer of help and support. This assistance is provided by, among others, the Support Team. This team helps affected parents and children with restoring contact, housing and financial problems. Since its inception in April 2022, 500 parents have already registered with the Support Team.