participants during a visit to ‘Wij zijn JONG’ (JeugdDevelopment Nederland Groep).
BONAIRE–Several civil servants from Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba worked together with civil servants of the ministries on the “BESt4kids” programme in Utrecht last week.
The aim of the programme is to strengthen childcare, pre-school and after-school facilities in Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba (Caribbean Netherlands). The ambition is to offer high-quality, safe and affordable childcare and after-school care for all children in the Caribbean Netherlands by 2022 – day-care that ensures the proper development of every child, but also for a good connection with education and meaningful leisure activities.
The public entities and the ministries work closely together in this programme. In addition, they will coordinate regularly with local stakeholders such as childcare and after-school care organisations, schools and other organisations in the youth chain such as youth care centres, the Guardianship Council, educational care expertise centres, etc.
The various ministries and the public entities had determined in 2018 what they were going to do in the BESt4kids programme during various work meetings in the Caribbean Netherlands, and how they would work together in this programme. The programme is based on a joint approach, but there is also an eye for the specific problems and needs per island. Every island, including the Central Government, has drawn up its own plan of action that forms part of the programme.
Civil servants involved worked together to achieve the objectives for various subjects, during the last working meeting in Utrecht. Think of the supervision of childcare and after-school facilities, the applicable quality standards, children who need care and the cost of childcare, it was stated in a press release on Thursday.
The group also paid a working visit to two youth institutions in Brabant: the organisation for childcare and after-school care “Wij zijn JONG” and the “Milo” Foundation, a centre for children with special care needs. These visits have generated a lot of inspiration both for childcare and after-school care and for collaboration with schools and youth institutions in the Caribbean Netherlands.
The BESt4kids programme will be led by programme manager Fleur Lagcher from March 1. Project Manager Angela Dekker has been appointed for St. Eustatius and Project Manager Rosalyn Johnson for Saba. The project manager for Bonaire is expected to be appointed in April. These three project leaders and the programme manager work closely together with local project leaders as well as project leaders in The Hague from the ministries involved.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/86058-working-visit-to-best4kids-for-progress-and-inspiration
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