Uniform Assistance Offer
The child is central in (conflict) divorces
Dear parent,
The Zeeland-West-Brabant court referred you to our helpdesk in accordance with the Uniform Assistance Program. At the hearing, you gave permission to collaborate with our divorce experts to determine the most appropriate form of assistance. On this page you can read more about the working method and what the Uniform Assistance Offer process looks like.
At the hearing, the Court, often heard by the Child Protection Council, refers you to the helpdesk for a care program. Goals are jointly established during the hearing. After receiving the referral and order, we contact the parents by phone to conduct an analysis. We therefore speak to parents separately. Based on the conversation, we formulate a recommendation for the parents and the municipality. We do not provide long-term support ourselves. However, we do continue to monitor throughout the process whether the care provider can work with the parents to achieve the goals set by the court. It is also possible that child advocate is being introduced. This is a professional who supports children of divorced parents in identifying their wishes and needs. This also gives children a voice in the divorce process.
- The desk maintains contact with the case manager (municipal access or the care provider) to monitor progress after 1, 4, and 7 months.
- If the goals are achieved, the care provider reports this to parents, the childcare center, and the municipal access point. The center sends the report to the Court.
- If the goals are not achieved or if one of the parents stops cooperating, the care provider reports this to the childcare center and the municipal access point. The center then reports to the Court and the Child Protection Council. The Council then considers whether to initiate an investigation.
- The desk decides (in consultation with the care provider and/or the municipal authority) whether a report is necessary to the Child Protection Council and the court. The desk sends the documents to the court, the Child Protection Council, and the parents.
Research shows that it's important for children's development that parents reach clear agreements without conflict. This is a responsibility for both parents, a responsibility in which you both respect each other's parenting. It's crucial that the agreements made are recorded in a plan. A parenting plan that prioritizes the interests and development of your children. Let the parenting plan evolve with the children. Reorganizing parenting isn't always easy, but it is necessary. Support from your support network may be helpful for you as parents and/or your children. Inform the people who interact with your children daily about the situation and the agreements you're making. Think of family, the teacher, or the babysitter. They also play an important role in supporting children during and after a divorce.
As parents you can also create a parental promise Sign. A promise in which you, as parents, possibly together with your children (depending on their age), agree to continue to parent together and to be there for your children.
Background information Uniform Assistance Offer
In 2016, the Dutch judiciary presented a vision document, "Jurisprudence in (Divorce) Parents with Children." This document focuses on the complex conflictual divorces in which too many children are involved for too long. The interests of these children are often overlooked or are not, or insufficiently, considered. The harm these children suffer as a result can be very significant, both in the short and long term. In the vision document, the judiciary outlined plans to organize the family law proceedings before the court, in which these parents and children are involved, in such a way that the harm to these children is limited as much as possible and as quickly as possible. more info