Netherlands

National Organiser for Schemes

Marijke M. Galama (Director)
Tel: +31 (0) 20 523 1100
Fax: +31 (0) 20 622 7367
email: marijke.ls@home-start.nl
www.home-start.nl

Home-Start in the Netherlands

History

Not only in England, but also in the Netherlands there was a great need for a programme which focused on parent's needs and questions. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Cultural Affairs paid a visit to the Home-Start project in England in 1991. That was such a successful visit that the Ministry decided to introduce Home-Start on an experimental basis in the Netherlands.
Three pilot projects were initiated in Limburg in 1993 with the help of the Netherlands Institute for Care and Welfare and Symbiose. The first trials showed that there was a big need for this type of family support. The Home-Start methodology was developed further in 1996 and 1997.

The Humanitas organisation then initiated another three pilot projects and in 1996 the results of the experiments proved to be so positive that the programme was then implemented on a national level. All types of organisations, institutions and local, regional and provincial governments are entering into partnerships for funding and setting up Home-Start projects. Partnerships have even been set up at the national level for this purpose.

Home-Start in the Netherlands is aiming for a large-scale integration into the local preventive youth programme in order to reach its target group and to realise its goals. The implementation is in the hands of easily accessible neighbourhood or district organisations. These are health and welfare or volunteer organisations and institutions.
Home-Start’s national support centre offers education and staff training, a quality programme, PR and information to Home-Start coordinators and support staff.

Some statistics about our schemes

In 2002 there were 38 Home-Start projects underway and a number of projects were under development. 1038 families received support in 2002. 2387 children were involved in this. This number increased in 2008 to 1,950 families and 4,100 children. Home-Start is being implemented throughout the country, and there are currently 95 schemes.

What people say about us

The University of Amsterdam reported in an effectiveness study in 1997 that, thanks to Home-Start support, family stress decreased, support from the community became more accessible and families made more efficient use of services.
In 2001, the Catholic University of Nijmegen researched the effect that Home-Start had in Gelderland. Research showed that there was a decrease in the level of stress of raising children after receiving support from Home-Start. Parents were less annoyed by day-to-day issues and they felt more competent raising their own children.
Since 2003 a large-scale study of the effects of Home-Start has been carried out by a researcher from the University of Amsterdam under the direction of Professor Jo Hermanns.

A mother tells us the following about Home-Start:

“Luckily all these social workers know what is going on with my children, but that doesn’t always help me. What does help me is my volunteer, as her purpose is only to help me and only if I want help. She also has a family, but, if she is here, she has all the time in the world. She is here to help me.”

A volunteer tells her coordinator:

“I have never felt so welcome as a volunteer.”

Funding

Local Home-Start projects are subsidised in the Netherlands by local and provincial government.

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