Money for post-adoption searches only reaches a handful of adoptees

After years of abuses surrounding the adoption of children from abroad, the government introduced a subsidy program as a "compensation." These subsidies are for foundations that, among other things, assist adoptees in the search for their biological parents. A nice gesture, but in practice, it has proven to be ineffective.

A large proportion of the more than 40,000 adoptees in the Netherlands still struggle with questions: Who are my biological parents? Where do I come from? Was I given up voluntarily? Questions that often lead to uncertainty, anger, and much grief.

There's no guarantee of answers. But a subsidy is intended to support adoptees in their search for their identity and origins. The government has made €600,000 available annually, part of which is intended to support these searches.

Abuses

The subsidy program was established after serious abuses surrounding adoptions from abroad came to light in 2021. These included child theft, child trafficking, and document falsification. The Joustra Committee concluded that the government had been inactive for years.

But now it turns out that only a small percentage of adoptees are eligible for the subsidy: in total, the Netherlands has adopted children from over eighty different countries, while only a handful of advocacy organizations organize trips and are eligible for the subsidy. As a result, more than half of the money remains unused, even though there are many adoptees who are eager to take advantage of it.

For Paula Vrolijk, who was forced to be repatriated due to China's one-child policy, the subsidy program worked out well. She reconnected with her family. But Jade van der Zalm missed out. Because there's no foundation organizing trips to her home province, she can't travel to China with a subsidy.

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Anne-Marie, originally from Iran, has also been searching for her roots for years. She recently got a tattoo with the date she was found and the name "Neda," which she received at the orphanage where she lived before her adoption. She has even been back to Iran, but doesn't speak the language.

"That was a moment where I was really in tears on the plane. The feeling of being suspended in the air above your homeland for the first time," says Anne-Marie.

The grant can be used to cover the costs of an interpreter and guide, among other things, to help with contact with orphanages and local residents. Travel and accommodation are the responsibility of the adoptees.

Anne-Marie has only one very big wish. "To meet my real mother and, ideally, meet real family. I'm very much focused on that. My life is now a statue without a pedestal."

She'd love to continue her search, but can't register anywhere. There's simply no foundation for Iranian adoptees that organizes "roots travels." That's why she has to pay for everything herself. "I think it's unfair. Why is it for that country and not for this one?"

Unwanted

Tjibbe Joustra, the former chair of the committee that investigated intercountry adoption, has nothing good to say about it. "The core of our report was that the government should take responsibility. And not just call in all sorts of private organizations again. The fact that this is happening now is undesirable."

The Joustra Committee recommended that "the government repair its damaged relationship with adoptees, adoptive parents, birth parents, and family members. A prerequisite for this is the government's acknowledgement of its failure to combat adoption abuses. This requires an attitude of openness and transparency toward those seeking information from the past."

Extension scheme

The Ministry of Justice and Security, which is responsible for the subsidies, is aware that there isn't an advocacy group for all adoptees from the various countries of origin. According to the ministry, the issue is being addressed and will be "included in the considerations regarding a possible extension of the scheme after October 2027," the ministry told Nieuwsuur .

The INEA expertise center, where intercountry adoptees can find support with questions about their adoption, is currently trying to map out how searching for family works in several countries. INEA will not be organizing any trips.