After a forced break as a result of the Corona crisis, some 25 children from Rotterdam enjoyed a week’s holiday in the province of Zeeland last July. They were hosted by guest parents from Zeeland as part of the Fresh Air Campaign of Humanitas Zeeland Foundation. Several social organisations in Rotterdam selected the children who were allowed to come to Zeeland; Humanitas Zeeland selected the guest parents.
The children were not supposed to go on holiday this summer. Some of them have never even been on holiday. “That could be because the parents don’t have the money for it, but it could also be because children need more attention,” says Sarah Maduro of Humanitas Zeeland. “That means that it can be nice for both the parents and the child that they are somewhere else for the duration of one week.
According to Maduro, it is a valuable week for the children. “They acquire experience and see what it can be like in another family. We tend to believe that children only want to do fun things, such as going to an amusement park, but in fact all the guest parents notice that the children mainly need attention. They want to be read to or have breakfast at the table. They really appreciate these ordinary things.”
This project received financial support from the Hurgronje Family Fund. The project was so successful that Humanitas Zeeland has decided to double the number of children next year.
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