Fighting for Their Children: Greenlandic Parents Rebel Against Biased Tests

When Keira’s daughter was born last November, she was granted only two hours with her before social services took her away. Keira’s pleas and struggles reflect the deep heartbreak faced by many Greenlandic families who are fighting to regain custody of their children after being subjected to parenting tests perceived as biased against their culture.

Keira recalls, I kept looking at the clock to see how long we had... It felt like a part of my soul died. Following the birth of Zammi,Keira joined many families on the Danish mainland in challenging the results of parental competency tests, referred to as FKUs.

In Denmark, these tests are deemed essential for assessing parenting capabilities when there's a concern for a child’s welfare. However, they have faced backlash, especially from the Greenlandic community, for allegedly promoting a cultural bias. In May, the Danish government announced that these assessments would no longer be applied to Greenlandic families, following years of criticism and systemic discrimination highlighted in numerous cases.

Statistically, Greenlandic parents face disproportionately high rates of child removals - a staggeringly higher chance than their Danish counterparts. The completion of FKUs has led to thousands of children being taken from their families, prompting an urgent review call from advocates and affected parents.

Keira’s journey mirrors that of other Greenlandic parents, like Johanne and Ulrik, who recount similarly traumatic experiences when their children were removed at birth, with the tests identifying them as unfit based on criteria they argue do not accurately reflect their parenting potential. Critics of the tests point out that questions often reflect Danish societal norms rather than universal parenting competencies.

Despite her fight, Keira remains hopeful. As she crafts a traditional Greenlandic sleigh for Zammi - set to be celebrated away from her - she states, I will not stop fighting for my children. If I don't finish this fight, it will be my children's fight in the future. The struggle for justice continues as Greenlandic parents pursue a future where culture and family are valued equally in the eyes of the law.