From today Why Family-Based Solutions will be called Family-Based Solutions. This change is made to reflect the shifting focus of the work I am doing. At the start of September, when the NGO is around for two years, I will post a blog giving more details about how my work is evolving. However, today, I would like to explain the change of name by addressing the shift in broader terms.
Continue reading “A New Name”Category: Introduction
The New Online Alternative Childcare Community
The moment has arrived. As I mentioned already before the summer and at the start of the month, part of Why Family-Based Solutions’ plan is to provide a platform where people who are involved in alternative care, in transformation of care and in child protection, from all over the world, can come together and exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas. That platform is now available on this website: www.familybasedsolutions.org/community/
Continue reading “The New Online Alternative Childcare Community”The End of the Podcasts
In the previous blog (HERE), I described the changes that are in the works for Why Family-Based Solutions. These changes mostly consisted of new things that will be started in the coming weeks and months. In this blog, I would like to explain one more change.
Continue reading “The End of the Podcasts”‘How Do I Do It?’
As long as I have been involved in institutional childcare – whether trying to improve conditions or trying to eradicate it -, meaning twelve years now, I have been asked the question ‘How do you do it?’ It seems fitting to start the new year with an attempt at answering this.
The question can refer to different things. However, more often than not it refers to how I deal with seeing children deprived of so much, and how I deal with seeing children sick, or even with witnessing their death. I quite understand why people would think that these are the hardest things to deal with, but for me, they aren’t really.
Continue reading “‘How Do I Do It?’”Introducing the Podcasts
I am very excited that in the quest to raise awareness about various topics surrounding alternative care and institutionalisation, this website has expanded by adding a podcast series. You can find the first podcast HERE.
Continue reading “Introducing the Podcasts”Less Visible Presence
Over the next few weeks, you will see less of me on the website and social media pages. While I will attempt to occasionally write a blog to add to the website, I cannot promise that circumstances will allow.
The reason for my temporary ‘disappearance’ is that right now Why Family-Based Solutions is entirely self-funded. Meaning that I do not get any money, I only provide it. To be able to stay alive myself and to fund the organisation, I need to work for money for intense periods of several weeks from time to time. And such a time has now arrived.
Continue reading “Less Visible Presence”Introduction: Who?
Let’s start with a little introduction, a little more personal than the ‘About’ page. Who am I and how did I get here?
That’s a really good question and I will fight the impulse to become too philosophical or existentialist in answering it. So I’ll start with the first part. I am Florence Koenderink, a Dutch woman who has lived in Scotland for the past several years and who works all over the world, wherever I’m asked to go. The more formal details on that you can look up on the ‘About’ page.