Opportunities for children
The Protestant association Vereniging voor Jeugd- en Kinderzorg (Association for the Care of Youth and Children - VJK) supports children and teenagers who find themselves in problematic situations. The association helps by providing young people and children with support through projects in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe - for instance by taking them into care, by providing education or by giving behavioural training. The VJK also addresses questions regarding the meaning and purpose of life by organising conferences and study days for managers and workers in youth care.
Examples of projects
The VJK supports a wide variety of projects. For instance the 'Kamerama' project enables unaccompanied minor asylum seekers to find a Dutch companion with whom they can do fun things, such as sport, internetting and visiting a museum. Beyond the Dutch borders the VJK supports many projects in south-eastern Europe. It organises holiday camps for Bosnian and Croatian children in care. In northern Albania poor families with a handicapped child are given a cow via the project named 'A cow..., a future!' so that they are assured of healthy and cheap food.
Selection of projects
The VJK chooses the projects to support on the basis of three policy points:
- the VJK strives to help people give meaning to their lives and identity in youth care;
- the VJK wants to develop new projects in the Netherlands;
- the VJK wants to stimulate and develop youth care in south-eastern Europe.
Justification
The VJK owes its right to exist to its members. The association is able to carry out its tasks thanks to the donations and gifts from its members. Churches and their social welfare services can become members by contributing an annual minimum of € 91 per minister. The minimum donation for private individuals is € 15. It is also possible to adopt a specific project in order to give structured support.
Your donation too is most welcome. You can transfer it directly to the VJK's bank account in Zwolle (Netherlands), account number 4597 28 202.
Organisation
The VJK's highest organ is the members' council. It is this body that decides on the budget and adopts the annual accounts and the annual report. The members' council nominates board members and decides on changes to the statutes. Director Rik van der Ploeg is responsible for the day-to-day running of the VJK. He implements the board's policy. In addition to the members, the board and the director, the association has a small number of employees for secretarial and pastoral work.