Fewer children placed under guardianship

On 31 December 2001 some 17.4 thousand children were placed under guardianship. Among them were 12.6 thousand single under-aged asylum seekers and 4.8 thousand other children. There were 800 more children who were placed under guardianship than in 2000 and 3500 more than in 1999.

Children placed under guardianship

The modest increase in the number of children placed under guardianship in 2001 is mainly due to the dwindling number of single under-aged asylum seekers. In 1999 their number increased by 2.7 thousand, while in 2001 their number went up by a mere 0.8 thousand. This is due to a change in the immigration law, which took effect on 1 April 2001. The number of other children placed under guardianship has been around 4.8 thousand for years.

More boys than girls

Three in four children placed under guardianship in the Netherlands are single under-aged asylum seekers (AMA’s). Among them there are twice as many boys as girls, namely 8.7 thousand boys and 3.9 thousand girls. Among the other children there were 2.3 thousand girls and 2.5 thousand boys.

Placed under supervision

The number of children placed under supervision has been about 20 thousand for a number of years. In 2001 placement under supervision ended for 5.4 thousand children. The average time these children were under supervision was 3.5 years.

Children placed under supervision

There were more children living in children’s homes in 2001 than there were in 1985. On 31 December 2001 some 45 percent of the children placed under supervision lived in a children’s home, against 25 percent in 1985; 20 percent lived with foster families and 35 percent lived at home.

Marcelle van Zee