How and why to offer guardianship and alternative care to unaccompanied minors [Experience of Nidos, the Netherlands]

About the webinar:

At this webinar we will talk about the importance of offering adequate guardianship and alternative care arrangements to unaccompanied children and how this is being provided in the Netherlands. The webinar will be especially interesting and relevant for child protection professionals and frontline workers working with separated and unaccompanied children.

About the presenter:

Drs. Tin Verstegen studied psychology at Utrecht University. He has been director of Nidos, the national guardianship institution for all unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the Netherlands, since 1994. Nidos has 500 professional employees who take care of over 6000 unaccompanied children. Nidos has the lawful duty to supervise these young people and promote their best interests until they reach the age of 18. The organization provides long-term continued care and has responsibility for the mental and physical wellbeing of the children and the on-going development of their personality. Nidos is as well responsible for the housing and guidance of unaccompanied children until the age of 15 year in foster families and  for the older children with a permit to stay in foster families or small living units. In the small living units the daily care is executed by professional social workers.

In 2008, Nidos founded the European Network of Guardianship Institutions (www.engi.eu), which tries to contribute to improved (professional) services to unaccompanied children in Europe.