WILLEMSTAD – The Dutch government has formally announced plans to issue an apology to all children and young people affected by the child benefits scandal known as the Toeslagenaffaire, a systemic injustice that has had devastating consequences for thousands of families across the Kingdom of the Netherlands — including those from Curaçao and the other Caribbean islands.
According to Leonard Coffi, chairman of Stichting StepAhead Curaçao, many families of Caribbean descent were disproportionately impacted by aggressive debt collection tactics carried out by the Dutch Tax Authority. These actions led to widespread poverty, long-term debt, and extreme stress. Even more troubling, Coffi emphasized, is the ethnic profiling that likely played a role in identifying these families in the first place.
Coffi further explained that systemic failures within Dutch child protection services meant that the financial struggles of these families often went unnoticed and unaddressed, resulting in the removal of children from their homes. Today, many of these affected children are still grappling with the emotional and psychological scars of those traumatic experiences.
Government Response and Youth Engagement
The Dutch State Secretary for Legal Protection, Teun Struycken, and the State Secretary of Finance for Restoration and Childcare Benefits, Sandra Palmen, have expressed their desire to personally engage with the affected youth. They aim to better understand the long-term impact of the scandal and explore what support measures are still needed to ensure full recovery and healing.
This initiative is part of the Dutch Cabinet’s broader strategy to acknowledge the harm done and chart a path toward restitution and justice. The government has committed to resolving all remaining cases by the end of 2027, targeting over 41,000 affected families with tailored compensation and support.
The Princess Laurentien Method
The process continues to utilize the "Princess Laurentien Method" from the Gelijkwaardig Herstel Foundation, recently refined to improve efficiency. This model invites affected parents to share their stories with so-called “listening writers” who document their experience in a factual account, which then serves as the basis for determining compensation.
According to reports from NOS, the method is designed to humanize the process and center the voices of victims, rather than forcing them into bureaucratic procedures.
Curaçao Organizations Demand Local Collaboration
Local foundations in Curaçao, including Stichting StepAhead and Stichting Minority’s, led by Erica Wever, are calling for direct collaboration with the Parliament of Curaçao, especially with the Ministry of Social Development, Labor and Welfare (SOAW). They argue that better coordination is essential to support Curaçaoan families still waiting for assistance.
“There is growing concern that many families on Curaçao and other islands within the Kingdom have yet to come forward or receive help,” Coffi noted. “These cases risk falling through the cracks.”
The foundations are urging for continued monitoring and outreach, stressing that full justice requires inclusion, visibility, and active communication between The Hague and Willemstad. They insist that no family affected by this injustice should be left unheard.
