Happy Nest: an afterschool programme
for children in reception centres
SUMMARY
Asylum-seeking children arriving in the Netherlands typically
stay in asylum seeker centres for long periods of time while they
wait for their asylum claims to be processed. Those whose asylum
claims are rejected are detained before being forcibly returned to
their countries of origin.
Families with children pending return are placed in family centres.
While living at these facilities, they may not leave the municipality
and have daily reporting obligations. Primary school classes are
offered inside such centres, and children have little contact with
the community and limited access to public services, leisure and
educational activities.
Since 2014, the Happy Nest programme has been offering
afterschool activities for children living in family centres. It
currently works in two family centres, and in October 2017 Happy
Nest spaces were opened in two reception facilities for asylum
seekers.
Happy Nest spaces offer a safe environment where children
can participate in group activities with their peers and receive
psychosocial support. The programme aims to help children
to develop resilience and cope with the stress caused by the
environment in which they live.
Country: The Netherlands
Location: Katwijk and Burgum
Website:
https://icdi.nl/projects/a-safe-nest-for-
children-in-refugee-centres-netherlands
and https://vrolijkheid.nl/wat-we-doen/
een-warm-nest/
Target group:
Children between the ages of 6 and 12 living in
reception centres
Implemented by:
Stichting De Vrolijkheid
and International Child Development
Initiatives (ICDI)
Funded by:
the Dutch Postcode Lottery and Stichting
Kinderpostgezels
Timeframe: 2014 – ongoing
Contact person:
Mathijs Euwema, Director,
International Child Development Initiatives,
[email protected]
KEY TOPICS
PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT INFORMAL EDUCATION STAFF TRAINING
CHILD PARTICIPATION PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP LOCAL COMMUNITY
ACCESS TO INFORMATION ADVOCACY AND RESEARCH
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