After we have focussed on afstandsmoeders in the previous episodes, we will now talk about afstandskinderen. Dr. Eugénie Smits van Waesberghe is one of them. She was born in the mother-baby-home Moederheil in Breda. She has published several books about afstandsmoeders and afstandskinderen and as a ervaringsdeskundige she is present in the Dutch media and the current investigation by the Dutch authorities.
For more information, check: https://eugeniesmitsvanwaesberghe.nl/
*Disclaimer*: Eugénie wishes to add the following to the question what happened to the babies that never were adopted: „They were supposed to be unfit for the Dutch adoption system. Nobody would want them. So you take a child away from its mum at birth and then you put it away, because you think like mother like son or daughter. Nobody can tell wether the mothers of these children have ever come to know that their baby was never adopted and often had disappeared into the system of Child services. Some babies and children died at the home, in hospital or in an institution. It is possible that there are mothers grieving for a lost child that has passed away when it was still very young, while the mum does not know. This I think is extremely cruel.“
Additional information by Eugénie: approximately 25.000 children were given away often at birth in The Netherlands between 1956 and 1984. 15.000 children were legally adopted in that period. The other 10.000 children came in various places with family, a foster home or in an institution. Some women succeeded in keeping their baby. They often had a hard time raising a child on their own because of lack of housing and money an also because of discrimination of the unwed, single mum within and also outside their own community.

Produced by Sarah Tekath in collaboration with Broadcast Amsterdam
More information: https://broadcastamsterdam.nl/shows/separated-by-force/

© Sarah Tekath/Broadcast Amsterdam