L'éducation des enfants venus de pays étrangers en Hollande

The adoption-organizations pleaded for a reform of the adoption-legislation in the Netherlands in 1956. It was hardly a concern of the politics. The number of Dutch children meant to be adopted, decreased in 1970, but was compensated soon by the amount of foreign children who were adopted. This shift to foreign adoptions was influenced mainly by the media' In consequence of the cruel wars in the South-East of Asia the subject was brought to public attention. At the moment the number of parents willing to adopt a foreign child is decreasing. Among other things this is caused by the high costs for an adoption today. The waiting period for an adoptee is ± 3 years now. The Dutch adoption-organizations do not only mediate in adoption, but try to interest candidate adoptive parents in the problems of the Third World as well. Thus parents can support several projects and furthermore they get to know the homeland of their child better. Adoptive parents often feel the need to have contacts with parents in the same situation, or with already experienced adoptive parents. In this the adoption-organizations try to mediate too, e.g. by forming regional assistance teams. Research has proved that adoptive parents consult relief workers more often than other parents. By reason of the background of the child, which is often problematic (emotional deprivation, neglect, handicaps) the child can have difficulties in starting relations. Further research will have to prove how much influence these negative youth-experiences really have, and which possibilities there are for the child to have affectional bonds.