Stichting Ouders voor Ouders (Parents for Parents Foundation)
The Dutch Foundation ‘Stichting Ouders voor Ouders’, (The Parents for Parents Foundation) was founded by parents of children who need extra care, who are often overlooked. It is self-evident that parents care for their children, but that is precisely why they are often forgotten. The constant care, hospital visits, therapies and care arrangements have a huge impact on both the physical and mental health of these parents. It also affects other family members, grandparents, friends and even their social life, education and career.
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Toe to Heart wants to align with ‘Ouders for Ouders’ as this organization gives another aspect of ‘childcare’. If the parents are taken care of also the child will benefit. One aspect of the Toe to Heart project is that we, by paying school fees and organizing after school care for ‘one parent’ children the mother/ only parent is able to work and create enough income to pay rent and arrange for food, which will benefit the child.
If you help the parent, you help the child. If you help the child, you help the parent.
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‘Stichting Ouders voor Ouders’ wants to get in touch with 'parents of children who need extra care' in other countries and cultures and Toe to Heart wants to help with making the contacts.
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‘Stichting Ouders voor Ouders’ will organize on 28 September a so called ‘Ont-zorg-moet dag’ so parents have a wonderful day off and 'Stichting Ouders voor Ouders’ needs sponsors for this.
A child which needs extra care benefits of a happy parent so we support this initiative.
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On a more personal level. Toe to Heart founder Thomas van Berckel has a brother with a disability who always needed/ needs extra care. Thomas knows how this can have impact on a whole (nuclear) family.
After his studies Thomas worked for L’ Arche International and was a fundraiser for several projects for disabled children in Brazil, Africa and India. On a professional visit to India for L’ Arche International he broke his toenail which leaded to ‘Toe to Heart’. By supporting 'Stichting Ouders voor Ouders' he can do still something directly and indirectly for all those exceptional children wo need that extra care.