The Administrator-General of the Flemish Children’s Agency (Agentschap Opgroeien) Katrien Verhegge has handed in her resignation. Ms Verhegge’s decision to step down follows a series of incident of serious malpractice at crèches in our region. Katrien Verhegge decision to step down takes immediate effect and came after she had discussed her position with the Flemish Minister responsible for childcare Hilde Crevits (Christian democrat).
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Katrien Verhegge resigns as boss of Flemish Children’s Agency
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During recent weeks there have been reports of incidents of serious malpractice at several crèches across Flanders. These reports have sealed the fate of the woman that until today was at the head of the Flemish government agency responsible for ensuring that the quality of care offered at childcare facilities is of a sufficiently high standard. During the past week it emerged that a further two crèches have been for to closed as the safety of the children entrusted into their care could not be ensured. There has also been much criticism of the way in which the Children’s Agency’s follows up on complaints made about crèches.
Some politicians had demanded Ms Verhegge’s dismissal. Today, after talks with the Flemish Welfare Minister Hilde Crevits, Katrien Verhegge handed in her resignation.
This week wasn’t the first time that Ms Verhegge has been in the firing line. In the summer the final draft of a report by the Flemish Parliament’s Enquiry Commission into Childcare strongly criticised the management and organisation at the Children’s Agency. Case file management at the agency was described as “a mess”. After the publication of the report the Flemish Welfare Minister decided to appoint a crisis manager and an additional ICT manager at the Children Agency in an effort to address the issues raised and to offer Ms Verhegge some extra support.
“Personal attack"
In an email sent to staff at the Children’s Agency Ms Verhegge says that it is with “pain in my heart” that she is resigning from her “dream job”. She goes on to say that "The tragic death of a child in childcare that moved me very greatly from day one brought with it the onset of a great storm within childcare. This storm has turned into a very personal attack on me as the senior official at our agency,”
Ms Verhegge added that "Hopefully this crisis will lead to a stronger appreciation for the (childcare) sector" She says that her personal professional future "completely unclear" at the moment.