History Fiom

History Fiom

Fiom stands for freedom of choice in the event of an unwanted pregnancy and for the right to parentage information. The current Fiom organization originated from many predecessors and has existed since 1930.

Fast to:

2001 - 2014

1990 - 2000

1970 - 1989

1930 - 1969

2014

Due to the significant cutbacks and the transition in healthcare, Fiom is developing as a specialist in unwanted pregnancies and parentage questions. Fiom is committed to the right of choice for pregnant women and the right to parentage information.

Online counseling, such as on unwanted pregnancy and abortion processing, is becoming more important because offline help has been reduced. External financing is being sought to continue to offer offline help. The Voortman amendment below was adopted in December 2013 with broad support from the House of Representatives.

This amendment provides additional impetus to teen pregnancy education and support decision-making on whether to continue with the pregnancy through neutral decision-making conversations. This amendment therefore provides for a targeted intensification of 1,000,000 euros for this target group and this task, without linking it to one specific institution. In consultation with the institutions that carry out the aforementioned tasks, further criteria will be drawn up for the use of these resources in such a way that more parties can make use of these resources.”

The reason for the amendment was that the Fiom assistance in the field of neutral decision-making for girls and women who had an unwanted pregnancy was phased out with the adoption of the 2013 budget of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. This coincides with the transition to decentralized implementation of the tasks in this area. Fiom's task assignment has therefore been changed from an aid institution to a knowledge center with services. The transition to decentralized implementation, where expertise still needs to be built up and the phasing out of Fiom's assistance options, means that assistance for this specific target group is (temporarily) no longer guaranteed. The consequences of the 2013 discount are tangible for Fiom customers and intermediaries. Bottlenecks remain when looking at the effects of decentralization, making it difficult for regional partners to adopt or maintain the national Fiom expertise. As a result, unwanted pregnant women still report every day who cannot be helped anywhere else in making a choice.

Fiom wants to ensure good help and information in the Netherlands and to work in a connecting and facilitating way with regional partners, so that they can provide the necessary help and information with the support provided by Fiom.

The challenge now is to organize a nationwide network of qualified care providers with a Fiom quality mark.

The Dutch Association of Abortion Doctors and the National Association of General Practitioners endorse the amendment in letters to State Secretary Van Rijn and the standing parliamentary committee of VWS. They indicate that it is essential for them to be able to refer to an authority that works on an expert basis from a neutral point of view. Fiom emphatically assumes the right to freedom of choice and helps women to make a choice that suits them and that determines the rest of their lives. This allows them to be well helped to make a well-founded decision about whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. Fiom has built up an expert reputation in this subject for many years and has collaborated with many institutions in all kinds of regions in the Netherlands.

2013

A turning point for Fiom. In connection with a changed assignment from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, Fiom is going to make the switch from an aid organization to a knowledge organization with services.

Over the past 80 years, Fiom has built up a wealth of knowledge in the field of unintended pregnancy and parentage questions. Fiom will share this knowledge and make it more accessible to (potential) clients, organizations and institutions in the social sector, politics and governments. Further digitization will be an important part of this. Fiom remains a national organization with a limited supply of help. Fiom is going back from 5 to 2 million subsidy and has to lay off 65 of the 100 employees. Fiom offices will be closed and only a few employees will still work on location.

2012

Major changes are taking place in Fiom's areas of expertise, partly as a result of medical and international developments. The shift in the viability threshold in preterm infants raises questions and discussion about the abortion threshold. Options such as surrogacy and sperm and egg donation spark a public debate. The number of adopted children is declining. As a rule, the adopted children who come to the Netherlands often have a physical and/or mental disability, are with several children from a family, and are often a bit older. Due to these developments, the demand for help and support from the target groups to the Fiom is changing.

Fiom will receive a substantial subsidy discount for the following year by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. An action is started and 5000 people sign the petition 'Fiom help must stay'. The petition will be presented to the chairman of the permanent parliamentary committee of VWS on 23 October. To no avail.

2010

Fiom is setting up its DNA database in collaboration with the Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital in Nijmegen. Donors and donor children can have their DNA profile stored here. With the commissioning of this DNA database, there is a chance of a match between donor and donor child. This DNA database is unique in the world and several countries are interested in following this example.

2009

There is an increasing demand for digital assistance. Fiom is therefore starting with online help via email and chat. The digital help enables Fiom to reach its target groups throughout the country.

2008

Halfway through the year, the governing party ChristenUnie approaches Fiom with the request to submit a number of projects for teenage mothers, in addition to the current activity plan. The party wants to invest in better prevention and more assistance to teenage mothers. Thanks to extra funding, Fiom is developing the website teenmoeders.nl and infoportaaltienermoeders.nl.

On June 12, Fiom, in collaboration with young mother centers Donna, Steady, JEM&Kids and JSO, organizes the conference Teenage Mothers 'A place of their own and a special approach.' The methodology description for working with young mothers and guidelines for setting up centers are issued.

2007

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport is working hard to achieve a shift in emphasis in the health care system in dialogue with the field. The aim of this is to make the content of the healthcare offer sustainable for the future. Fiom sets up its organization to play a role as a specialized partner. In consultation with municipalities, Fiom can ensure that its specialist knowledge is used in those municipalities, in coordination with the facilities available in those municipalities.

2006

Fiom has contributed its experience and expertise to partnerships for domestic and sexual violence. Fiom has been instructed by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport to reduce its assistance on this subject and to transfer it to regional institutions. The aim is to have completed its activities in the field of domestic violence in 2007.

2005

Fiom is 75 years old. The anniversary conference is entitled “Unintended pregnancy: from taboo to openness?!”

Fiom is involved in the evaluation of the Termination of Pregnancy Act. In the current law, the interests of the mother and those of the unborn child have been given a proper place. Fiom now finds an area for improvement to also start the consultation period after a meeting by people other than just the doctor.

2004

The Artificial Insemination Donor Data Act comes into effect. Anonymous donation of sperm and eggs via the clinics is no longer allowed. Besides the already known searchers - adoptees, children of unmarried mothers and of divorced parents - donor children also come forward with search questions and with identity problems. Historically, the mothers of these seekers have been the clients of the Fiom from a generation ago.

2003

The prevention project 'unintended pregnancy in refugees and asylum seekers' is completed with a scenario. The scenario was drawn up on the basis of meetings by about 185 employees from the Medical Shelter, the Nidos Foundation and the Refugee Council. Fiom expertise, built up over decades of providing assistance to Dutch unintended pregnant women and unmarried mothers, is now being used for this problem among refugees and asylum seekers.

2001

Notorious documentaries by Netwerk and NCRV hit the public like a bomb. In a short period of time, many women who became pregnant through incest in the past report. Fiom has been working on this request for help occasionally (and in collaboration with other organisations) for several years and is now starting the first group care. Fierce reactions from supporters and opponents point to the need to care for the individual victims and to break the silence about pregnancy through incest.

Amendments to the Adoption Act make it possible for same-sex couples to adopt a child. The expansion of the possibilities for one target group, the unintentionally childless couples, has consequences for the other, the mothers (married couples) who are considering distance for adoption. Fiom must adjust its policy and practice accordingly.

1999

As of January 1, Stichting Ambulante Fiom will merge with ISS, the Netherlands department.

The number of requests for advice, mediation and assistance in searches for blood relatives is rising sharply. The constant attention in the media contributes to the fact that searchers know - more than before - that it is possible and allowed to look for a blood relative. An unintended side effect of this is that people who do not want to search for their biological father or mother come under a different pressure: searching seems to have to be done. Discussion groups and open walk-in evenings contribute to help seekers and to influencing the mentality of the environment.

1998

Two successive internal reorganisations and a cutback by the national government mean an attack on Fiom. The number of desks should be reduced to nine.

The Netherlands ratifies the Hague Adoption Convention. This Convention specifies the circumstances in which it is permissible to adopt children and creates conditions for the implementation of intercountry adoption.

Amendment to the Pedigree Act. Many matters are regulated in the new Pedigree Act, some of which have consequences for Fiom's target groups. From now on, the legislator makes a distinction between the terms 'biological father', 'donor' and 'creator'. The paternity that arises through marriage can now - in addition to the man - also be denied by the woman and by the child. Legal maternity is also regulated by law. This law allows an unmarried heterosexual couple to adopt and allows adoption by one person.

1995

Fiom celebrates its 65th anniversary. In the preliminary phase, separate expert meetings are held between adoptees, distance mothers and adoptive parents. The results will be presented during the anniversary conference “Adoption Triangle Interactive”.

At this conference, the three 'parties' who jointly form the adoption triangle will meet in public for the first time in the Netherlands. In addition to the existing organizations for adoptees from abroad, Möbius is being set up as a result of this congress for adoptees of Dutch parents. Although they are the oldest group, they have been literally and figuratively the most invisible until now. Ten years later, in addition to the Distance Mothers Foundation, there will be at least twelve organizations for adoptees and six for adoptees and their adoptive parents together.

1994

In summary proceedings, Fiom has to appear in court because the Foundation for Descendancy Children wants to force Fiom, without preconditions, to provide the complete files of mothers-to-be to their biological children for inspection. Fiom recognizes the right to parentage information, but at the same time respects the mother's privacy and therefore wants to limit access to the parentage data. The judge ruled in favor of Fiom. Fiom is of the opinion that, apart from formally recorded parentage data, the surrogate mother should be able to decide for herself whether she wants to let her child read everything that is written about her.

There is a lot of attention in the press. In an article in Vrij Nederland, distance mothers point out their right to privacy. They point to the often whole and half untruths in the files, often subjectively described from the prevailing views of decades ago. The issue is among other things the reason for the establishment of the Distance Mothers Foundation, which will often receive publicity in the coming years.

1990

The umbrella organization Fiom has been discontinued and the new National Association has just been established. The importance of their own history is highly valued: Hueting and Neij are commissioned to conduct a historical research. Their publication 'Unmarried mother care in the Netherlands' is still one of the most important sources. Noordenbos' commissioned photo exhibition shows the differences and similarities in the work over sixty years.

As of January 1, the National Association will be converted into the Ambulante Fiom Foundation. There are 16 agencies that are committed to help questions regarding: *) single parenthood; *) unexpected pregnancy; *) adoption and post-adoption questions; *) incest and sexual violence; *) step- and co-parenting.

As a nationally operating institution for executive work, Fiom is always looking for collaboration. For example, the boards of Fiom and the LVAAV (National Association of Single Arab Women) conclude a cooperation contract for the duration of two years. And a number of agencies initiate or participate in partnerships for support after sexual violence. An agency receives a large subsidy in the context of the UN 'Year of the Family. The subsidy will be used to produce teaching letters about 'other forms of cohabitation.'

1989

The LVAF understands the 'request' of the State Secretary and states in its policy memorandum: 'Given its knowledge and experience with the issues surrounding sexuality/reproduction and the parent-child relationship and given its view on power relations and the traditional way of championing oppressed women, the LVAF to want to focus on psychosocial assistance to victims of sexual violence and incest and to mothers of incest victims.'

In addition to the control by the subsidizing government, it is of course the changes in society that force Fiom to reorient its range of assistance. Development of birth technology and the phenomenon of surrogacy bring other applicants to the Fiom offices. In the sometimes Babylonian confusion of tongues, Fiom tries to remain faithful to its own principles, but to adjust them where necessary.

She wants to stand up for women's right to self-determination and also advocates safeguarding the rights of the child. In that regard, Fiom provides unsolicited advice to the government, the ministries involved and parliamentary groups and advocates the abolition of anonymous sperm donation.

1985 - 1988

National financing requires a national structure for Fiom. There will be one national organization to carry out the work. State Secretary Dees of WVC is of the opinion that 'provisions such as the Fiom offices - while retaining current tasks and functions - can also play an important role in the field of women's assistance, such as assistance in cases of incest problems, provision for abuse of women and assistance with divorce problems. play'. WVC wants Fiom to focus on new developments in society and to set priorities when defining the target group. Budget extension is available for this. In 1988, a staff officer for Women's Aid is appointed at the National Office.

The existing legal entities, the offices and homes, are merged into the National Association Ambulante Fiom, the LVAF. The intention is that the National Office will function for both the homes and the offices. This cannot be done due to budget cuts. As a result, the organizational relationship between Fiom offices and homes is falling apart.

1984

Termination of Pregnancy Act. Until now, Fiom social workers have been supported by their organisation's policies. From this year on, they also operate within the margins of the law. A relief for many workers and clients.

1982

Decentralization of the outpatient Fiom work. Subsidy must be provided by the municipality of residence. The survival of the Fiom offices hangs by a thread. After political lobbying, support from both the left and the right, Minister Brinkman promised that the decentralization would be reversed. Only a year later, after a demonstration in Amsterdam and a majority in parliament on a motion by Lankhorst, was the message that the Fiom would again be financed nationally. The Fiom offices in the four major cities are subsidized by their local authorities.

1981

The Landelijk Bureau Fiom appoints (in dual job) two Emancipation staff officers. This appointment was made possible in part by the subsidy for so-called pilot projects under the responsibility of the Government's Directorate for the Coordination of Emancipation Policy.

1980

Under the collective name 'Eigen Werk', the National Bureau publishes special papers and theses to allow employees to exchange experiences and develop joint expertise. The series will continue to exist until 1990 and will then continue for a few more years under the name 'methodology series'.

In the eighties, BOM groups (Consciously Unmarried Mother) are organized on Fiom offices. Some lesbian women want to become mothers but encounter discrimination at the clinics. Fiom strives for the equality of all who want to become pregnant via KID (Artificial Insemination with Donor Seed). There are group activities for mothers on welfare and holiday projects for single-parent families.

1979

For Fiom, the 'Year of the Child' marks the start of activities that are specifically developed for children from single-parent families: crèches, children's talk groups and holiday camps.

1975 - 1980

The joining of forces of the three organizations results in a series of new activities. The activities are aimed, among other things, at abortion care and amendment of the law; housing, especially for women 'fleeing the house in a crisis situation'; right to part-time work; breaking the taboo around relinquishing a child; parental authority in non-marital situations. Social workers, volunteers, board members and staff officers are committed to serving the target group. And (former) clients can be found on the boards.

1975

The 'Year of the Woman' provokes the Mad Mina reaction: 'No year, a life for women.' The poster with that slogan can be found in many Fiom offices. The message for whom and why she wants to fight is clear. Many Fiom workers are active in the Women's Movement and work together with their clients in various 'strikes-against' and 'actions-for'.

1971 - 1975

Merger process between the three umbrella organizations FIOM , COM (Central for Unmarried Mother Care, an earlier merger of the Catholic and general association) and HPS (Hendrik Pierson Foundation) These have been years of heated discussions. The executives have long been in favor of collaboration and - in keeping with the zeitgeist - have their way of letting them know. An occupation of the building where the boards of COM; HPS and FIOM meet. A telegram in which the joint offices make their voices heard is delivered too early, causing the occupation to end in a fizzle. From 1975, the institutions continued to merge under the name Fiom, the Dutch association of organizations for assistance during pregnancy and single parenthood.

Emancipation in the broad sense of the word is the starting point for the work of de Fiom, with an emphasis on the emancipation of the single-parent family and the emancipation of women. The target group is defined: 1) people - married or not - who have questions/problems about pregnancy; 2) single parents with their children; 3) Children of single parents. The objective pursued by Fiom for this group is: * advocacy and assistance; * prevention of such problems; * improvement of the social position; * coordinating the work of the members of the Fiom. As a result of the merger, 24 offices plus additional office hours, 14 homes and 24 (supervised) housing projects will continue together under one flag.

1969 - 1979

Action points from groups such as Dolle Mina, MVM, Wij Vrouwen Eisen and Stay van mijn Lijf are recognized by workers and clients. In many places there is cooperation with local action groups and social workers and board members are putting their weight into effect to make changes and improvements in the living situation of clients.

1971

The Divorce Act is passed. Fiom's range of assistance will be expanded to include assistance with pregnancy and single parenthood (unmarried mothers/fathers; parents whose partner has died; divorced parents). In addition to information, advice and assistance to individuals and groups, Fiom also wants to: 'promote the interests of the target groups together with them and strive for a change in mentality with regard to the single-parent family.'

A government subsidy scheme for social services to unmarried mothers and their child replaces the temporary scheme that existed since 1961. The ministry transfers the subsidy to the bank account of twenty independent foundations - per address National Bureau of the FIOM The special institutions that are not specifically aimed at unmarried mother care, go their own way.

1970

The publication 'Bearing load, carrying capacity. Abortus provocatus in the context of assistance to the unmarried pregnant woman' is explicitly presented by FIOM to its own members and to everyone involved with the abortion problem in the Netherlands and states 'provision with regard to abortion issues as a normal part of its range of duties. ' to see.

The starting point is the woman's right to self-determination with regard to whether or not the fruit will continue to exist and the conviction that the input of others (ie: a social worker) is required to arrive at a well-considered decision. This clear position supports the executive workers. It will take another fourteen years of study, action and political lobbying until the Abortion Act puts an end to working on the margins of what is legally permitted.

1969

The Tijdschrift voor Maatschappelijk Werk publishes a report of the study day on the social position of unmarried mothers in the Netherlands, organized by FIOM H. Milikowski's lecture under the title 'Tolereren or accept? Accept unconditionally," heralds a change. The view that unmarried motherhood should be classified as social pathology is losing ground. It is increasingly being argued that the special problem of the unmarried mother arises from the position in which she is placed by society and not as a result of her personal morbid or immoral behaviour. The similarities in the problems of unwed mothers and other single mothers are mentioned.

1968

FIOM has grown into a major federation. Member are 3 national umbrella organizations; 39 offices plus 22 office hours for outpatient care; 27 homes and 8 special institutions (such as Protection of Jewish Girls; Salvation Army; Advocacy for Unmarried Mothers). There is a threefold division according to religion: Protestant, Catholic and general. Cooperation between boards and executives leads to the establishment of the first non-denominational agency: the Algemene Stichting Niet-wede Moederzorg in Breda.

The government subsidizes 60% of all work; the provincial government 20% and the other 20% comes from municipal subsidies and private donations.

1967

'Working with standards' is the name of the study day in which 180 people, mainly executives from offices and homes, participate. The involvement of practitioners has a major influence on the adoption of the report 'Standards for external and internal unmarried mother care'.

The scope of unmarried mother care is wide. Of the never-married women with an illegitimate child, 76% have contact with unmarried mothers.

1966

The Roman Catholic Associations for Girls' Interests in the Netherlands reports in the contact sheet that they will stop helping unmarried mothers because the work 'must be done scientifically by professionals.'

In its national magazine, the Hendrik Pierson Association lets the sociologist Winkler Prins speak about the influence of the environment on unmarried mothers: 'People are immediately prepared to stand up for the unmarried mother. At the same time, however, one requires the necessary gratitude. She is sometimes required to take the education of her child even more seriously than married mothers, but at the same time she is expected to be able to do less. The main thing, however, should be that it should not be the decisions we would like to make for the unmarried mother, but her starting point for the help.'

The HPV board thanks for donations: more than four thousand guilders from 83 members, and explicitly states that this money will not be used to make up the operating deficit.

1965

Social Assistance Act. Admission of a pregnant woman to a home is paid for from the General Assistance Act; Previously, the homes worked on municipal subsidies. Unmarried mothers can now receive benefits and are no longer dependent on parents. The Social Assistance Act greatly strengthens the possibility that pregnant women and unmarried mothers - including young - will stand on their own two feet.

1962

FIOM requests amendment of art. 129 Accounting Decree. Four years later this will become a fact. The details of a relinquished child may be removed from her personal card at the request of the mother. This information is kept in the National Link Register.

1961

The government provides subsidies on the basis of a Temporary Subsidy Scheme for Unmarried Mother Care. It provides opportunities to appoint paid professionals.

1957

General Assembly of FIOM is devoted to the first experiences with the law on adoption. Prof. dr. Petit, chairman of the Central Adoption Council, states: '…we must be careful not to accept adoption as the normal crowning achievement of foster parenting.' The secretary of FIOM, Mr. Sark, makes a plea for cooperation between the official authorities and private initiatives such as FIOM, to '… provide the mother with help and assistance, so that the unmarried mother is enabled to take an interest in her child and to keep up with her part in the upbringing to carry.'

There are more than 140 affiliated associations where mainly volunteers work.

1956

The Adoption Act. Initially, FIOM is still opposed to legislation. Later she agrees, but retains a certain reserve in word and deed.

1953

Foster Children Act. Unsupervised placements will be ended. State requirements are formulated about the upbringing of foster children.

1951

Child Benefit Act. Unmarried mothers also receive child benefit.

1946

Revision of Children's Laws. The underage unmarried mother acquires a legally recognized family relationship with her child. Paid social workers are entering the many pre-existing local private outpatient services for unmarried mothers.

Unmarried pregnant women are equated with married women: entitlement to benefit during pregnancy and childbirth.

1945

During and shortly after the Second World War, a large number of illegitimate (sometimes unwanted) children were born. In the annual report for 1944, an office reports: 'Of the 45 illegitimate births, in 14 cases the causative agent was a German soldier.' In 1947, the same bureau noted that of the 60 illegitimate births, the causative agent was an allied soldier in 17 cases. Many children are given up after birth. This is the direct reason for the pressure from foster parent organizations on the government to revise the Foster Children Act.

1940

FIOM establishes the Commission for the Centralization of Distance from Children. The aim of this committee is, among other things, to combat the 'disorganized' distance of children, better selection of foster parents and the prevention of distance 'if no serious grounds can be given for this.'

1930

Foundation of the Federation of Institutions for the Unmarried Mother and her Child. 25 institutions become members of FIOM. They endorse the aim: the federation acts between the government and the private associations '… in order to arrive at an arrangement for the whole country for the subsidy of the institutions'. There will be a government subsidy that will make it possible to set up a national office. The lawyers of this office deal with matters that the local associations cannot handle themselves. This concerns, for example, placing English children with Dutch foster parents who ultimately hope to adopt the child. The FIOM is building up experience, in particular through the many requests from prospective adoptive parents. On the basis of that experience, FIOM . will

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