Stichting (Gelijk)waardig Herstel

Stichting (Gelijk)waardig Herstel (SGH) is a Dutch foundation established in 2023 by Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands. It was created to support parents who were affected by the Dutch childcare benefits scandal (kinderopvangtoeslagaffaire), a major political and administrative crisis in which thousands of families were wrongly accused of fraud and forced to repay childcare benefits. The foundation's name translates roughly as "(Equally) Worthy Recovery Foundation," reflecting its aim to restore dignity and financial compensation to affected families. The foundation operates a distinctive method known as the "Laurentien method" (methode-Laurentien). Under this approach, a trained volunteer called a "Listening Writer" (Luisterend Schrijver) records the personal story of the affected parent, producing a "Factual Account" (Feitenrelaas). The parent's account is taken at face value, without requiring them to prove the causal link between the scandal and their suffering. An independent Damage Analyst then calculates a compensation amount based on this account. If the parent agrees, they sign an agreement with the government. This method was designed to speed up compensation for parents who were entitled to more than €30,000 but struggled to provide sufficient evidence. SGH was asked by State Secretary Aukje de Vries in the summer of 2023 to help accelerate the compensation process. A pilot began on 16 October 2023, aiming to conclude 300 settlement agreements. The pilot was evaluated by the Ministry of Finance in May 2024, which noted both the added value of the SGH route and concerns about financial transparency, legal embedding, and limited comparability with other compensation routes. Media reports in May 2024 revealed that the average compensation paid through SGH was €128,000 per parent, significantly higher than the government's average of €18,000, and that the method could lead to an additional €6.6 billion in total compensation if scaled up. This sparked political debate and criticism. In the summer of 2024, controversy grew over Princess Laurentien's role, and she stepped down as chair on 27 August 2024. The foundation continues to operate, offering support to affected parents through its listening-based approach. It is headquartered in Almere, Netherlands, and remains a private foundation.

Stichting (Gelijk)waardig Herstel (SGH) was founded in 2023 by Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands. Its origins trace back to 2020, when the Missing Chapter Foundation, an organization founded by Princess Laurentien, was approached by the Dutch Children's Ombudsman to set up and guide a children's panel in connection with the handling of the childcare benefits scandal (kinderopvangtoeslagaffaire). This led to a series of dialogue sessions and, in December 2021, the publication of a report titled "(Gelijk)waardig Herstel." Based on this report, Princess Laurentien established SGH in 2023 and served as its chair until 27 August 2024. In the summer of 2023, SGH was asked by State Secretary Aukje de Vries (VVD, responsible for customs and benefits) to help accelerate compensation for parents affected by the benefits scandal. Parents entitled to more than €30,000 in compensation were required to provide sufficient evidence, and proving causality took a very long time. A pilot was therefore chosen, known as the "Laurentien method" (methode-Laurentien). This method takes a more lenient approach to causality risk: a Listening Writer (Luisterend Schrijver) records the affected parent's Factual Account (Feitenrelaas), which is believed in principle. Based on this, compensation is determined through an abstract damage calculation (forfaitaire afdoening). SGH was allowed to test this method on behalf of the government in an independent pilot aimed at concluding 300 settlement agreements. According to NRC, King Willem-Alexander was involved in the preparations; in the spring of 2023 he spoke with a minister about Laurentien's role, and the King's Cabinet was involved in coordinating the letter that formally recorded her involvement. The pilot started on 16 October 2023. On 12 May 2024, the Ministry of Finance published a detailed final report, "Evaluation of the pilot (Gelijk)waardig Herstel," which included several points of criticism: financial explainability, legal embedding and preconditions, and limited comparability with other compensation routes such as the Committee for Actual Damages (CWS) and the Regieroute. Despite these criticisms, the ministry acknowledged the added value of the SGH route for parents and the potential acceleration of the recovery operation at relatively low implementation costs. On 13 May 2024, NOS News reported a conflict between SGH and the Ministry of Finance over the level of compensation paid. The article mentioned a secret note from the Ministry of Finance stating that the costs of the recovery operation could increase by €5 billion, partly due to the Laurentien method. In a response on 14 May 2024, SGH regretted that an anonymous civil servant from the Implementation Organization Recovery Benefits (UHT) had criticized SGH's approach through the media, emphasizing that no one benefits from more unrest around the scandal. According to a NOS News report on 30 May 2024, the average compensation per parent through SGH was €128,000, significantly more than the average €18,000 granted by the government. The ministry calculated that applying the Laurentien method on a large scale could lead to an additional total compensation of €6.6 billion. In an emotional video message to affected parents, Laurentien responded on behalf of the entire SGH team, expressing "deep respect for your immeasurable patience in this almost inhuman uncertainty." On 31 May 2024, the State Secretary of Finance sent a letter to the Senate announcing that the cabinet, after making agreements with SGH and before definitively signing a Service Provision Agreement (DVO), would decide in the Council of Ministers on the SGH route. This decision would determine whether the SGH route would become a structural part of the compensation system. The issue led to a debate in the House of Representatives, which indicated it wanted to continue with SGH under conditions. The outgoing Rutte IV cabinet wanted more control over the foundation but left a final decision to the next cabinet. In the summer of 2024, controversy over SGH intensified. There was unease at the Ministry of Finance about Laurentien's role as a member of the royal family. The ministry had initially wanted to intervene more firmly, but those involved indicated this was difficult due to her vulnerable position. Laurentien herself was reportedly not very receptive to criticism and preferred direct contact with the State Secretary or senior officials. The involvement of Laurentien in granting high compensation amounts in the benefits scandal, "without evidence of suffered damage," was criticized by Senate member and former State Secretary of Finance. On 27 August 2024, Princess Laurentien stepped down as chair of SGH. The foundation continues its work.

• Missing Chapter Foundation approached by the Children's Ombudsman to set up a children's panel regarding the childcare benefits scandal.

• Publication of the report "(Gelijk)waardig Herstel".

• Stichting (Gelijk)waardig Herstel founded by Princess Laurentien.

• Pilot of the Laurentien method starts, aiming for 300 settlement agreements.

• Ministry of Finance publishes evaluation of the SGH pilot.

• NOS reports conflict over compensation amounts and a secret note about €5 billion cost increase.

• Average SGH compensation reported at €128,000 per parent; potential extra €6.6 billion if scaled.

• State Secretary of Finance announces cabinet decision on SGH route before signing service agreement.

• Princess Laurentien steps down as chair of SGH.

A foundation offering a listening-based, empathetic compensation route for parents affected by the Dutch childcare benefits scandal, emphasizing dignity and trust over bureaucratic proof.

• Listening Writer (Luisterend Schrijver) sessions

• Feitenrelaas (Factual Account)

• Independent Damage Analyst assessment

• Controversy over high compensation amounts

  In May 2024, reports revealed that SGH paid an average of €128,000 per parent, far above the government average of €18,000, leading to political debate and criticism.

• Criticism of Princess Laurentien's role

  There was unease about her royal role and her receptiveness to criticism, leading to her stepping down as chair on 27 August 2024.

Read more

1. 1Stichting (Gelijk)waardig Herstel | kinderopvangtoeslagaffaire | Almere, Netherlandsgelijkwaardigherstel.nl
2. 2Stichting (Gelijk)waardig Herstel - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Stichting (Gelijk)waardig Herstel - Wikipedianl.wikipedia.org