A supervision order restricts parental authority. If the development of a child or young person is seriously threatened and the child's parents or caretakers do not (fully) accept the care neccessary to eliminate the threat, the court may impose a supervision order at the request of the Child Protection Board (Raad voor de Kinderbescherming) or the Public Prosecutors Office. A family guardian from a Certified Institution is appointed. This person will support the child and their parents in resolving the parenting problems. The parents remain responsible for the upbringing, but their authority is partly limited. Both parents and child are obliged to follow the advice of the family guardian.
When the situation is safe enough, the child can stay at home. A judge can also decide to place the child (temporarily) elsewhere, for instance in a foster family. A supervision order lasts one year at most. The court can extend the duration by (a maximum of) one year each time, until the child reaches adulthood.