Netherlands Institute of Care and Welfare/NIZW: Source of Knowledge and Inspiration.

Playing an important role in developing new social policies and introducing new methods, the Netherlands Institute of Care and Welfare (NIZW) is an independent foundation funded by a combination of private and public monies to conduct research and to develop and implement programs in five areas: (1) care and nursing; (2) organization of care; (3) youth care and welfare; (4) social policy; and (5) information and infrastructure. The NIZW care and nursing programs focus on: (1) home care, especially developing models for perception-oriented care, psychosocial problems of the chronically ill, and transfer of nursing home care; (2) family care, especially for families of chronically ill children; and (3) the use of volunteers, specifically developing a balanced volunteer policy and training programs. Organization of care efforts include experiments in community care, employment for individuals with disabilities, and policy development. Youth care and welfare programs include innovations in child day care and out-of-school care, prevention and early intervention programs, and curative youth care. Social policy efforts focus on developing tools with which municipalities and institutions can map the broad outlines of district and neighborhood social structures and for use in evaluation and as a basis for decision making as well as the implementation of pilot projects to improve the quality of life in local neighborhoods. The NIZW also houses four centers providing information and organization services in the care and welfare sectors. (KB)