Many foster parents quit over lack of support: report

More than half of the foster parents who stop foster parenting do so because the do not feel taken seriously, had bad experiences with youth protectors, or feel they received too little support, Trouw reports based on a study by the Netherlands' youth institute NJi.

The NJi interviewed 542 foster families who stopped fostering between 2017 and 2018. Other negative reasons for quitting include problems with the foster child or a difficult relationship with the biological parents, the newspaper said.

Bad experiences are not the only reason for a foster family to stop fostering. One in five foster families stop when the foster child turns 18 or when the foster parents reach retirement age. Long-term illness, relocation, or financial problems are also mentioned.

The decline in foster parents means that the Netherlands is facing a shortage. According to Foster Care Netherlands, 3,500 foster families are needed each year. Last year there were only 2,566. Currently over 700 children are waiting for a place in a family, the NJi said to Trouw