Belgium: a show offers you to have a child ... with strangers

Having a child with strangers. A Belgian reality TV show from the private Flemish channel VTM is widely talked about among our neighbors: it proposes to bring together candidates who cannot have children but who want them. Its purpose is to help people conceive and raise a child with others without a romantic relationship. The first issue - a test episode - aired Monday evening, October 18.

The title is clear Ik wil een kind - translate "I want a child". The symbol of the show: the presenter riding a stork. The tone is set: you want a baby but you can't for medical or social reasons, so we will put you in touch with others in the same situation.

This is a bit the principle of dating programs such as Love is in the meadow or Married at first sight. Nevertheless, here there is absolutely no question of love or romanticism between candidates, but of bringing them together so that they form co-parents ... What the show calls "conscious co-parenting" or "co -parenting " -programmed parenthood "

What is co-parenting?

We are not talking about adopting or in vitro fertilization, but about conceiving a child and raising him together, without having a romantic relationship. These future parents will not necessarily be two. Parenthood can bring together two, three, four different people: a couple with a single person or two couples together, heterosexual or homosexual it doesn't matter. All will have to become the child's co-parents .

You cannot legally be more than two parents of the same child. It is also this legal vacuum that the channel says it wants to highlight. The place of life of this future child, the aids, the rights ... nothing exists in Belgian law for multiple co-parents. VTM assures us: an agreement will be concluded between the co-parents on these questions. Applicants will be followed by psychologists, a doctor and a lawyer.

Unanimity ... negative

Be careful here the outcome is not pregnancy during the show, even if this is not excluded. The TV channel recalled that its objective was above all to draw attention to the existence of this form of family . At least that's how she defends herself.

Until the Flemish government, the Dutch-speaking youth minister was questioned by members of parliament last week on this matter. Benjamin Dalle says he cannot ban the program ... There is no violation of children's rights since these are children who have not yet been conceived.

The minister promises to remain vigilant. Some members of the Flemish Nationalist Party went further ... by denouncing a shameful practice in the context of a race for audience and profit. On social media during the broadcast last night, the first issue was unanimously negative. Many Belgians are outraged by the existence of such a reality TV program. The TV channel for its part intends to go to the end of its program