As detailed in the Factsheet Foster Care 2019, in the Netherlands 23.272 children lived with foster parents for a shorter or longer period in 2019, but the Youth Institute estimates, that in 50% of the cases, siblings are not placed together.
On 1st December 2020, the Dutch Parliament passed a motion regarding the placement of children and asked the government to change the law to have the siblings placed together in a new home.
The legal analysis done by the Defence for Children the Netherlands shows, that there is a gap in the legislation, missing an important part, namely the “together, unless” principle.
Defence for Children the Netherlands is aware that several practical obstacles must be tackled to ensure that siblings are not separated, but the plea is supported by the Dutch government and the scientific community.