A Greenlandic mother in Denmark had her newborn baby taken away just hours after giving birth for failing a "parenting competency test" that critics claim discriminates against Greenlandic parents.
Keira Alexandra Kronvold, 38, whose first language is Kalaallisut, was subjected to the test conducted in Danish during her pregnancy. Danish authorities removed her newborn daughter on November 7, allowing her only one monitored hour of visitation per week, The Guardian reported. Kronvold has previously lost custody of two other children, reportedly after taking a similar parenting test in 2014.
The parenting competency test, or forældrekompetenceundersøgelse (FKU), is criticized for its failure to account for cultural and linguistic differences. A 2022 report by the Danish Institute for Human Rights warned that a low test scores could be an inaccurate representation of a Greenlandic parent's cognitive ability.
"Such potential misjudgments can have far-reaching consequences for both children and parents, as in the extreme they can contribute to the forced removal of a child," the report states.
Advocates for parent and Inuit rights argue that such tests disproportionately lead to forced adoption and family separation among Greenlandic parents. Nearly 5.6% of Greenlandic children in Denmark are in care, compared to 1% of Danish-background children.
In Kronvold's case file, her "Greenlandic background" is noted as a factor that would hinder her ability to prepare a child for "social expectations and codes that are necessary in Danish society."
"My love and tradition were more important than any test score," Kronvold told the Guardian, stating that the local municipality had "coldly assessed my worth as a parent."
"This is one case out of many," said Tina Naamansen of Sila 360. "Greenlandic families are being torn apart by a system that does not understand or respect our culture."
"I would like to encourage the municipalities in cases involving families with a Greenlandic background to concretely consider stopping the use of the criticized tests," Denmark's social affairs minister, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen said on Wednesday. The statement followed an urgent meeting with Greenland's children's minister, Aqqaluaq B Egede, who advocated for an outright ban on the test.
Denmark's Thisted municipality defended its decisions, citing the child's best interests, but vowed to ensure proper handling of the case. Protests in Nuuk and Copenhagen demand immediate reform to protect Greenlandic parents from discriminatory practices.
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