Report accuses Dutch government of ignoring children affected by bureaucratic conflict

The Dutch government must do a better job of taking into account the needs of children, and how children are impacted when parents have a conflict with a governmental office, the Children’s Ombudsman wrote in a report published on Tuesday. The issue likely affects at least 100,000 children in the Netherlands.

The advocate’s office said that little attention, or no attention at all, has been paid in recent years to the effects such disputes between citizens and the government have on children, particularly the tax office’s childcare benefits scandal. Some 70,000 children are affected by that issue alone. Other pressing matters include the delays in handling flood damage in Limburg, farmers impacted by government measures related to the environment, and residents affected by pollution in the area around Tata Steel.

This has to change, because children “do experience the struggle, the frustration and the sadness,” the Children’s Ombudsman said in the report. The ombudsman spoke to children whose parents have had disputes with the government. These conversations showed that these children are worried on a daily basis, and experience a great deal of stress and uncertainty “because of the struggle and the powerlessness of their parents.”

The report also pointed out that affected parents have less time for their children, which has an impact on their well-being and ability to function. “Many children are less able to concentrate at school,” the ombudsman wrote. Moreover, the children, like their parents, have little confidence in the government.

“Children adopt their parents’ negative views,” wrote Margrite Kalverboer, the current Children’s Ombudsman. “We must prevent them from becoming cynical and turning away from democracy and the rule of law.”

To limit these harmful effects, the government must give children “a full place in its policy and act from a children’s rights perspective,” the ombudsman said. Her argument is that “confidence seems to be restored when the conflict is resolved properly.”

Clarity and honesty from the government are very important. “For example, if the government agency admits to having made a mistake or if the government agency speaks with children themselves,” the Kalverboer added.

Municipalities and schools also have an important role to play in supporting and informing children, who can provide assistance in many ways, including by organizing contact with fellow sufferers or by including children’s rights education in citizenship lessons. “This contributes to children being better informed of their rights and knowing what they can do themselves, so that their rights are better respected,” Kalverboer said.