No standard pathways or long waiting lists, just six hours of guidance a day, personalisation and room for creativity. At Switch Jeugdzorg in Eindhoven, young people at risk of getting stuck are given a new chance. Director Jeanne van Beers and an expert tell their stories in the End of the Week talk show. “Listening, really looking, that makes all the difference.”
Over five years, the organisation has helped more than a thousand young people between the ages of 7 and 28 get back into school, work or start their own business.
There are currently 153 young people at Switch, spread across three sites in the city. The young people come from a wide range of backgrounds and problems: fear of failure, depressive thoughts or dropping out of school after repeated rejection. Some come from young offenders’ institutions, others have been at home for years without any education.
‘We make a plan for each of them,’ says founder and director Jeanne van Beers on the End of the Week talk show. I want young people around me for six hours a day. We do not talk for half an hour, then wait, and go straight to work.
Alternative to mainstream care
Van Beers worked for years in youth care, including at Pandor and as a migrant care coordinator. She became disappointed with the mainstream approach. “I missed creativity. That is precisely what helps young people with depression or fear of failure. And it gives them the feeling that they can indeed do something.”
According to her, the current school system does not match what young people need. “There is little room for personal development. Subjects such as music, sports, or handicrafts are disappearing. Young people don’t understand why they still have to go to school, and then they drop out.”
Switch does offer room for learning differently. Young people can take up music, sports or technology, if it suits their interests. “They do want to learn,” Van Beers stresses. “But in a way that suits them. Let them try. Trust them.”
Start immediately
At Switch, there is no waiting list. Young people can start immediately. The organisation operates without a structural subsidy and is largely built on donations and initiatives by parents. “We only get money for the interviews,” says Van Beers. “But we offer much more than that: structure, trust and support.” The Eindhoven municipality sees Switch as a commercial party, but now recognises the value of the approach.
Rafael: from medication to mission
The talk show also featured Rafael Rozenblad, an employee and expert by experience at Switch. He grew up in a difficult home situation and was admitted to boarding schools and the children’s hospital as a child. At the age of 10, he attempted suicide. No one asked what he needed, though he was given heavy medication meant for adults. At 17, he lived on his own. Now he uses his experiences to help others. He wrote several songs about his childhood and shared his story at stages and gatherings. “I want to improve care,” he says. “Listening, really looking, that makes all the difference.”
On average, young people stay with Switch for half a year to a year and a half. Then they move on, back to school, work, or their own business. Sometimes it only emerges along the way that someone has ADHD, autism or is highly gifted. “At school, they fell by the wayside,” says Van Beers. “With us, they can catch their breath. And move on again.”
Source: Studio040.nl
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan
