Rotterdam exhibition on impact of childcare benefits scandal

FROM 28 NOV 2025–1 NOV 2026 | The Belasting & Douane Museum in Rotterdam is opening a new temporary exhibition about the Dutch childcare benefits scandal. Toeslagen Tragedie focuses on the families affected and on how such a failure in government should never be repeated.

Exhibition shows the impact of the benefits scandal

The Belasting & Douane Museum is presenting Toeslagen Tragedie, a temporary exhibition about the years in which the childcare benefits scandal unfolded, up to the fall of the government on 15 January 2021. The exhibition will be officially opened by State Secretary for Recovery and Benefits, Sandra Palmen.

Between 2005 and 2019, thousands of families were wrongly labelled as fraudsters or severely penalised for minor mistakes. Many ended up in long-term poverty, burdened by rising debts and financial stress, sometimes losing their jobs, homes, relationships or even the care of their children. The exhibition places these experiences at the centre rather than treating them as abstract policy failures.

In a setting of broken mirrors and rusted gears, Toeslagen Tragedie shows how lives were damaged by serious failings in the system. The visual language reflects trust that has been shattered and bureaucratic machinery that has ground people down.

Visitors encounter personal stories and fragments from different perspectives, including those of parents, officials and observers. The aim is to offer insight into what went wrong at multiple levels while keeping the experiences of those affected in clear view.

Why this exhibition matters

The museum presents the exhibition as a way of keeping the subject in public view. The childcare benefits scandal is framed as a chapter that should not be forgotten and, above all, should not be allowed to happen again.

Toeslagen Tragedie runs for almost a year, during which the museum will organise a programme of activities, meetings, conversations and future oriented debates. With this, the Belasting & Douane Museum hopes to contribute both to remembrance and to discussion about how the relationship between citizens and government can be rebuilt.

Practical information

Toeslagen Tragedie is on show at the Belasting & Douane Museum, Parklaan 14-16, 3016 BB Rotterdam. The exhibition runs from 28 November 2025 to 1 November 2026. The museum is open daily from 11.00 to 17.00. Standard admission conditions for the museum apply.

How to get to the Belasting & Douane museum

The Belasting & Douane Museum is located on Parklaan in the Scheepvaartkwartier district, close to the Veerhaven and within walking distance of Museumpark. The area is characterised by historic townhouses, tree lined streets and several museums clustered together.

The museum can be reached by tram via stops near Westplein or Vasteland, followed by a short walk through the neighbourhood. Cyclists can follow routes along Westzeedijk and the Maas, while drivers can use nearby street parking or car parks in the area and continue the last stretch on foot.