As the Dag van de Zorgouder approaches on Sunday, 1 June, the spotlight turns to care parents across Belgium. This year, the vzw De Ouders organisation planned a special event to connect care families with non-care families through a free picnic, aiming to foster understanding and support. However, as of 2025-05-14 15:09:00, the initiative faces a surprising challenge: a lack of interest from non-care families.
- Launch free picknick connecting care and non-care families
- Receive low registrations from non-care families
- Reach out to celebrities for participation support
- Highlight challenges faced by care families daily
- Emphasize inclusion through children’s example behavior
- Encourage sign-ups via vzw De Ouders website
While over eighty care families eagerly signed up, only three non-care families from across Flanders registered. Ellen De Meyer, the initiative’s founder and mother of ‘baby Pia’, expressed her disappointment over the low response despite wide outreach, including calls to celebrities. What does this say about community awareness, and how can we better support care parents?
With the event still open for registration, the hope remains that more people will step forward to join the picnic or barbecue, creating meaningful connections on this important day.
Why is there such limited interest from non-care families, and what impact does this have on care parents? This initiative reveals several key points worth considering:
- Care parents often face social isolation despite their vital role in society.
- Community involvement is crucial to easing the burden on these families.
- Outreach efforts, even involving celebrities, may not always translate into public action.
- Children with special needs frequently experience exclusion, underscoring the importance of awareness.
Will more non-care families answer the call before the event? It’s a chance for Belgians to show solidarity and learn from care families’ experiences. To participate or learn more, visit vzw De Ouders’ website and help make the Dag van de Zorgouder a day of shared understanding and support.
