Every year Luxembourg Ministry of Education or more precisely the Office National de l’Enfance – ONE (all Kand zielt) publishes report providing information on number of children removed from Luxembourg parents and currently living either in shelters or foster homes. Annual statistical data confirms that the NUMBER OF REMOVED CHILDREN REMAINED RELATIVELY STABLE OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS WITH AN AVERAGE OF 1000 CHILDREN LIVING UNDER A SUPERVISION OF DIFFERENT LUXEMBOURG INSTITUTIONS. THE APRIL 2023 REPORT INFORMS ABOUT 1426 CHILDREN CURRENTLY LIVING OUTSIDE THEIR FAMILY HOMES. The documents providing statistical data can be found below for uploading.
Considering the change of Luxembourg demographics and an increase of population in the last two decades, an average of over 1000 children per year seems like a surprisingly stable number. Good enough to assure operational budget of the organizations benefiting financially from the available state subsidies.
According to the information provided by different sources, under the current law, once a child is removed from the parents and solidified by a court judgment, the removal often becomes permanent with many children historically, remaining under a supervision of different institutions for indefinite time or UNTIL THEY TURN 18-21 YEARS OLD. Regardless of the age of a child or adolescent when the removal took place!!! All this without a defined objective imposed on the institutions to work on finding a way to reunite the family.
Furthermore, the evaluation of whether a child or adolescent should remain in the shelter, internat, foster family or return home is done by experts often employed or contracted by the same associations and shelters benefiting financially from receiving government subsidies for having the children under their supervision or in their facilities.
What escapes the official narrative presented to the public by the Ministry of Education and ONE is the « business formula ». In order to understand the magnitude and the scale of the « shelters business » it is important to note that the amount of government funds these « non-profit » associations (shelters) receive per month for one child is a minimum of € 6,000 with the figure in reality easily exceeding the mentioned number.
Considering the above and not counting the children in foster families the calculation is simple: approx. €6,000 (minimum subsidies per month for one child) x 12 months = €72,000 (funds received annually per child) x 862 (children institutionalised in April 2023) = €62,064,000. A sixty two million sixty four thousands euro (minimum) worth industry per year.
Someone may argue that there are cases where sometimes taking a child or adolescent away from the parents is the only option to assure safety of those involved. Maybe, or maybe not. There are many ways to help families in distress to deal with their problems. Removing a child from their parents and families should be considered as the last resort option, introduced only in severe cases where child’s safety is endangered and only if other prevention measures did not work.
A relatively stable but high number of Luxembourg children taken away from their families living often for indefinite time outside their family homes under supervision of different institutions has been known to Luxembourg decision makers for years. These drastic measures and practices clearly approved by different stakeholders in Luxembourg, have resulted in hundreds of complaints and legal actions filed by Luxembourg parents against Luxembourg state.
EU institutions and different European human rights organizations have reprimanded, audited and instructed Luxembourg to introduce changes in the outdated law that in many cases prevents Luxembourg families from being reunited. Yet, the interventions have met for years with nothing but passive approach from the Luxembourg government.
In 2019 when FAD met with OKaJu our organization was informed that the decade long « government consultations » associated with the changes of the « law on protection of children and minors » was almost completed. This was in 2019. During our most recent meeting with OKaJu (June 2023) we were told again that the work on the draft law and the overdue necessary amendments (approx. 84) continues…
It is unfortunate to learn that in Luxembourg, adjustments of laws and regulations benefiting certain social groups can be easily and quickly introduced. On the other hand, urgent and necessary legal reforms protecting Luxembourg children and assuring their rights are not violated need decades of expert discussions and works no one can keep track of.
So, why it is as it is? Well, as always, with every story similar to this one, the easiest way to find the answer is probably by is following the money, the industry worth minimum of sixty two million sixty four thousands euro per year. The uncomfortable TRUTH we do hear about it in the media. Why? « Because it’s Luxembourg… »
FAD – Fathers Against Discrimination a.s.b.l. « Both Parents for All Children » has been collecting evidence over the course of last years with the objective to release the details when appropriate and needed, exposing the « shelters business in Luxembourg » and the work of certain individuals, organizations, social workers, experts, lawyers, children attorneys, judges and the police.
In the mean time, laws or no laws, it is time to take actions. Our organization will reach out to political parties and all deputies of the Luxembourg Parliament with a request for the parliamentary question to be raised demanding an audit of all the state run and « non-profit » associations managing the shelters in Luxembourg with a view of acquiring more information about the nature of their work, the general operations and the financial status of these organizations.
