Bloemfleur Foundation
Acato's right to exist is constantly in question
Acato's future is in jeopardy
Why don't initiatives like Acato get more support? Complaints from Acato are not addressed or taken seriously by the municipality. We sent a letter to the ministries, to which the ombudsman responded.
Acato has long been opposed. In an earlier project for home sitters that Acato was forced to quit, the ombudsman investigated. In the report, all complaints were upheld and the municipality was accused of improper administration. The municipality did not take the report seriously.
The objective of the Bloemfleur foundation is to help young people with an autism spectrum disorder to develop and use their talents.
She manages the project Acato and gives publicity to it.
Bloemfleur foundation manages the finances, the observance of the objective and recruits when necessary funds and subsidies.
All incoming funds benefit the Acato centre. Directors and daily managers do not receive any remuneration, allowance and/or holiday pay for their work.
Financial statements
You can download our annual reports here:
Objective
The Bloemfleur Foundation has set itself the goal of standing up for young people who experience difficulties in their lives because of autism. Often these difficulties consist of:
- Not daring to go to school
- No longer going to school
- Fear
- Feeling excluded
- Loneliness
- Uitzichtloosheid
- No prospect of independent living/work/education
The Bloemfleur Foundation has set up a day care centre for these people: Acato on Goudse Rijweg.
What does the Acato day care offer?
Acato employs people with life experience and an adequate background and/or education.
People with autism find a welcoming environment, where cosiness and safety are the main ingredients.
At the Bloemfleur Foundation we assume that only with a positive self-image and a healthy cheerfulness you can come to choices about a future, an education, a course or voluntary work.
At first, a new student at Acato is searching, but after a while - is the experience - the questions come for specific subjects.
Acato employs 20 teachers and volunteers, each with a different speciality. A selection of the possibilities:
- Fine arts
- Music (guitar, voice, piano, harp, drums)
- School subjects: English, Dutch, Japanese, mathematics, civics
- Cooking
- Digital drawing lessons
After a few weeks, the wishes of the new student are defined. Progress and evaluations are kept in an accredited care administration.
Acato offers older students the opportunity to do an internship at Acato. The experiences of these students are valuable for the younger new students and also for the employees.
Acato employs three employees with an autism spectrum disorder.
Long-term goals
Acato aims to create a broader offer for these young people. In time, we want to be able to offer a broader range. These young people often drop out of school as early as secondary school. We want to offer an educational programme that is suitable for children with autism who cannot attend school because of their disorder. This offer is specifically intended for children who can only work at their own pace and need a different level for each subject.
Moreover, we notice that there is no suitable offer for our young people to learn to live independently. Often the circumstances at home are no longer ideal. The Bloemfleur Foundation is also investigating the possibilities of offering a solution in this area. The demand for this among our own pupils is large and urgent.
Finance
Acato is mainly financed from the WMO, with PGBs from the students. However, Acato also has students who do not receive a PGB for various reasons. We do not turn away these students. Acato is there for every young person who seeks help from our objective. For young people without funding, funds are approached and it is investigated whether private contributions are among the possibilities.
For the implementation of our long-term goals: education and housing, we actively seek helping organisations, partnerships and funds and donations.
Organisation
Our board members have joint expertise in the areas of organisation, finance, education and care and governance. The board of the Bloemfleur Foundation receives no remuneration for its activities.
Marc van Staveren: Chairman
Anne Marie Edema: Secretary
Daniël Verschoor: Treasurer
I am Marc van Staveren. Every child deserves a fitting place in society. Unfortunately there are some children who do not 'fit' into our system. I have such a child. Often I have been told that it is not my child but the system's fault. For those children, who often have ended up at home (for a long time), Acato offers a place and shelter where they can build up their self-confidence again in a safe environment. Their talents are examined and they are guided in the development of their talents so that they can achieve 'successes' again and gradually gain more confidence in themselves and their environment.
Every child deserves that. That is why I am on the board of the Bloemfleur/Acato foundation.
My name is Anne-Marie Edema, married and mother of a son who attends Acato. After secondary school, I started working in healthcare and in the meantime completed an education in tourism. I am an all-round flex worker in the care sector, of which psychiatry suits me best.
My son came to Acato after three years of 'sitting at home'. Heaven on earth!
Since then, he has developed from a pacing boy with no self-confidence to a grown-up boy who is proud of himself.
I am Daniël Verschoor, creative entrepreneur in the field of catering and events. At the Bloemfleur Foundation, I am responsible for checking the figures and adhering to the financial policy. In addition, I use my network where possible to offer the pupils of Acato a place in society. If you have a nice project, you can reach me at daniel@keilecafe.nl.
Supervisors
Guidance is provided by people with different backgrounds and expertise. Everyone has a creative education as a basis. Various volunteers are also active. All our supervisors have a VOG.
"I find it very beautiful to see how pupils grow and blossom when they have created something themselves."
"Working together is important to me, everyone has a part, a role and a meaning."
"I give a weekly cooking/baking activity to the young people, where each is engaged at his/her level."
My starting point is to approach the young people on the basis of equality and humour, at the pace that suits them.
Acato offers people the opportunity, the time, the contact, the possibility, the attention, the space, the adventure, the help, the development, the challenge and the future! Will you join us?
The conversations with students and supervisors about the most diverse subjects, the new insights both from them and from me, it makes me happy.