Effective access to education, and to any measures
necessary to ensure such access (e.g. language classes),
must be available to all children, even if they will be
returned to a third country. Due to emerging risks of
segregated education for children in migration, access
to inclusive and non-discriminatory education is the key
towards children's integration in other areas of life.
The Protection of Children in Migration: Communication from the
Commission to the European Parliament and the Council
(COM(2017)211 final)
In addition to its activities for children, the
Happy Nest programme also offers complemen-
tary services for parents.
The Nest model was first developed and piloted
in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 2009
and 2013 as a project targeting children from
families with multiple problems. Evaluations
and impact assessments of the model revealed
its positive impact on children. The interna-
tional handbook entitled, The Nest Center: A
Home away from Home offers guidance on how
to set up, run and maintain a Nest centre 10 . In
the Netherlands, the first Happy Nest opened
at the asylum seeker centre in Katwijk in 2014,
and a second one opened in 2016 in Burgum.
In October 2017 two more spaces opened in
Zeewolde and Drachten, in the provinces of
Flevoland and Friesland. Happy Nest spaces
are open to any children who are interested.
Teachers, COA officers, health workers and
representatives of other services can also
contact Happy Nest staff if they have concerns
about a child or if they want to refer a child to
the centre. Registration requires the consent of
parents or legal guardians and children.
The programme is run by the Dutch NGO De
Vrolijkheid with technical support from ICDI.
De Vrolijkheid supports children who are vic-
tims of armed conflicts, torture, neglect, abuse
or exploitation and promotes children’s rights
offering special care, recovery and integration
services. ICDI is a knowledge organisation
specialising in the psychosocial development
of children and young people growing up
in difficult circumstances. De Vrolijkheid is
responsible for managing and implementing
Happy Nests, and ICDI provides training and
professional supervision for De Vrolijkheid’s
staff and volunteers.
The programme is currently funded by the
children’s charity Stichting Kinderpostzegels
and by the National Postcode Lottery, but would
need to secure long-term funding from other
sources to sustain its work and reach other
reception facilities.
De Vrolijkheid has a formal cooperation
agreement with the COA under which the roles
and responsibilities of each party are outlined.
Before a Happy Nest can become operational,
COA permission is required. The COA provides
spaces for Happy Nests. Other programme
partners include primary schools operating
in the reception centres, health services and
municipal authorities. Happy Nest staff are
in continuous contact with the directors and
teachers of schools operating in the reception
centres.
10 _ Mathijs Euwema, Marian van Teeffelen, Branka Ivanović, Elvira Živanovic, “The Nest Center: A Home away from Home”, n.d.,
https://icdi.nl/media/uploads/publications/the-nest-center.pdf.
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