____________________[PRO] Dutch government to setup an electronic database on all children

[congeries]

The Dutch government plans to open an electronic file on every child at birth as a tool to spot and protect the troubled kids of the future, AP reported on Sep 15, 2005. Beginning Jan. 1, 2007, all citizens will be tracked from cradle to grave in a single database - including health, education, family and police records - the health ministry said.

As a privacy safeguard, no single person or agency will be able to access all contents of a file. But organizations can raise "red flags" in the dossier to caution other agencies about problems, ministry spokesman Jan Brouwer said.

Every child will get a Citizens Service Number, making it easier to keep track of children with problems even when their families move, said Secretary of Health Clemence Ross. 

The intention is to protect troubled children. "Safety, guidance, education and supervision are incredibly important for the development of children," Ross said.

Until now, schools and police have been unable to communicate with each other about truancy records and criminality, which are often linked. All Dutch births are currently registered with local authorities.

"Child protection services will say, 'Hey, there's a warning flag from the police. There's another one from school. There's another one from the doctor," Brouwer said. "Something must be going on and it's time to call the parents in for a meeting."

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