Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology

Religious and Cultural Matching in the Dutch Foster Care System

by Fei An Kersten

Question(s) at stake

Whether and to what extent, in the case of the out-of-home placement of a child, the wishes of the parents concerning the religion of the prospective foster family are taken into account.

Outcome of the ruling

Although the Court understands the parents’ wish for the child to be placed in a family of the same religion, the best interests of the child are of primary importance. In the present case, it is in the best interests of the child to remain in the residential care home where he currently resides.

Country:

Netherlands

Official citation

Court of Appeal ‘s Hertogenbosch, Judgment of 18 February 2021, Case nr. C/01/361674 / JE RK 20-1292, ECLI:NL:GHSHE:2021:493 (Uitspraak Gerechtshof ‘s-Hertogenbosch 18 februari 2021, ECLI:NL:GHSHE:2021:493).

ECLI:NL:GHSHE:2021:493

Topic(s)

Keywords:

Best interests of the child Foster care Freedom of thought, conscience and religion

Tag(s):

Bibliographic information

Kersten, Fei An (2025): Religious and Cultural Matching in the Dutch Foster Care System, Department of Law and Anthropology, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale), Germany, CUREDI076NL011, https://doi.org/10.48509/CUREDI076NL011.

About the authors

Fei An Kersten (Faculty of Law, Maastricht University, Netherlands)