Update: Join the Netherlands International/Expat Research Consortium
October 16th, 2009 - Round Table notes: Today several interested parties met at the Erasmus University, Sociology Department to discuss their current involvement in international/expatriate research in the Netherlands. We agreed on a few items to move the goal of collaboration forward: 1) Our community and individual organizations benefit from collaboration to create a unified source for research concerning international/expat topics; 2) Creation of a LinkedIn Forum Group to facilitate communication; 3) Discuss the appropriate name for the group; 4) Have all parties introduce themselves, their current related projects and their interest in involvement in the consortium; 5) Develop a purpose statement to maintain agreed standards; 6) Review templates of similar collaborations; 7) Investigate the association of local universities to begin the framework of the research infrastructure. These are the beginning steps to get the proverbial ball rolling.
Please help do your part to add, contribute, and facilitate reaching the above common goal. Additionally, feel free to invite and inform others about this consortium for their participation. Join the LinkedIn group here.
Child & Family Health and Support Services Survey
We're excited to announce a big development in the life of international families in the Netherlands! Healthcare and support services are major candidates for improvement in any vision of the kinds of information highways and information societies that are now being visualized here in the Netherlands. The interactive communication between healthcare and support providers and community or other healthcare providers is an essential part to providing quality community knowledge and resources. Building on the strengths of our community, through the survey we are stepping up and taking action to provide a solution based initiative, connecting the Dutch and international support services for international and Dutch families. The objective of the survey is to take the pulse of the current needs of international families in our community along with pin pointing the gap between services and access to create practical solutions. The survey provides a platform for international families to voice their concerns and desires for family and community services. You are part of our growing community, dedicated to finding practical, research-tested solutions to some of life's biggest questions. In this next stage of Family Solutions evolution, we look forward to delivering even more hope and inspiration to you and countless others. The initiative was founded in response to the findings of the Gemeente Den Haag, 2005 Decisio Rapport and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2008 IOB Rapports.
Detailed Executive Summaries of the 2009 International Family Health and Support Services Survey are available for purchase. Mail Familysolutions.
The 2009 Child and Family Health and Support Services survey has now been completed. This survey is the latest and follows on from three previous surveys tracking the International Community’s level of satisfaction or otherwise, with services in the Netherlands.
- Gemeente Den Haag 2005 Decisio Rapport
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2008 IOB Rapport
- International Organizations Staff Associations in the Netherlands 2008 Survey.
All of the above noted (63%) dissatisfaction with the quality of the healthcare system and commented on a consistent lack of clarity in this systems operation.
This new survey looked at the knowledge base of the International community, where this knowledge comes from and how satisfied, or otherwise, the users are with these systems. Questions were asked about the family concerns and help sought.
64.5% have parenting concerns
59.4% seek information about children’s first aid.
51.9% seek more information about child development.
42.9% are seeking more information about Feeding and Nutrition
This is the sort of information one would expect to be available from the Consultatie Bureaus although, those who had sought advice and support there obviously had not found it. In fact an overwhelming percentage (93%), seek advice from International Community services and media sources, web sites based in their country of origin, friends, and other mothers within the international community. And with the ever-improving technological advancements like broadband internet connections, this percentage may increase in the coming years.
55% of respondents have lived in the Netherlands for longer than 3 years and all had found the search for advice, help and support with the challenges of parenting had been exhausting. Information is seldom available in English and not all of the International community speak Dutch. There appear to be gaps in services and there is no easily identifiable and accessible information about the services that do exist. There appears to be no independent body to approach if things go wrong.
Again the primary focus of the negative assessment of the provision of care was the system itself, with its levels of bureaucracy, systemic flaws and the many obstacles/mechanisms which hinder responsiveness to patients/clients needs. If these issues are not addressed the perception of the Netherlands as an attractive venue for the International community will shift and many families who could remain and contribute greatly to the Dutch economy will “vote with their feet” in terms of health care and family support.
This new survey also offers some simple and easily applied recommendations which would certainly improve the International Community’s satisfaction with current provision. There is also an International Family Support Services Conference to be held on the 6th June which is being run with partners from some municipalities, Dutch and International schools, health centres and local and international organizations.