German Gay Parents Have Foster Child Removed From Their Care, After ‘Unfit’ Birth Parents, Turkey Complain
Image: Representational image. Photo: Berlin Pride
In Germany, a same-sex couple has had their foster child removed from their care after the child’s birth family, who were declared “unfit” and Turkey objected to the arrangement.
The 10-month-old child was initially taken away from their Duisburg-based birth parents, who are of Turkish origin, by the German child welfare office, the Jugendamt, in May 2022.
The child welfare office had said that the the child was underdeveloped and the mother, known as AK as unfit to be a parent. The Jugendamt had placed the child with a same-sex couple living near Cologne.
As AK was only allowed to see her child once a month, she contacted Turkish officials.
Turkey Protests
The Turkish Labor and Social Services Ministry(TLSSM) office in Germany helped the birth parents hire a lawyer.
In an interview with the Daily Sabah, AK said, “We hope Jugendamt does not make another mistake and places my son at least with a Turkish family so he would not be deprived of the opportunity to learn Turkish culture and language.”
The TLSSM has suggested two Turkish volunteer foster parents.
They have also suggested that “host countries consider lifestyle choices based on cultural and moral norms in such cases while assessing the foster care process for Turkish children.”
