Children in Dutch care system exploited on placements abroad

Children in the Dutch care system may be being exploited while on youth placements abroad, an investigation by current affairs programme Nieuwsuur has found.

Councils and child protection agencies can sometimes send children with behavioural problems to other countries, such as Spain, when there is no suitable place for them in the Netherlands. This is supposed to be a temporary solution but some end up staying for up to three years.

The investigation found that the health and youth care inspectorate (IGJ) has been flagging risks in the system since 2009, but parliament was never informed. The inspectorate now says it is receiving reports of children being forced into unpaid work, locked up and not going to school, and admits that nothing has changed.

Because the IGJ has no jurisdiction in foreign countries it cannot investigate reports itself. Some children are also being sent outside the EU, the investigation found, some to Morocco.

Those placed in Morocco have no background in the country, which the organisation running the site, Multi Plus Zorg, said is an advantage because it makes the children more dependent on staff and lets them focus on their own development. Youth law professor Mariëlle Bruning told the programme it “smells of abuse”.

The IGJ said “peer pressure” was being used in some places to keep children under control, and that some were subjected to “outdated” methods focused on punishment.

It also said it has reports of children being physically restrained and barred from leaving the grounds, neither of which is permitted in this type of care, and of some having to do heavy work instead of going to school.

The inspectorate last counted how many Dutch children were in care abroad in 2007, when there were 330.

Youth care minister Mirjam Sterk said she found the situation “worrying”. Parliament passed a motion earlier this year to limit placements abroad as far as possible.