Children's Postage Stamps has been around for 100 years
April 16, 2024
A century of commitment to strengthening children's resilience
Children's Postage Stamps has been around for 100 years. Since 1924, the charity organization - known for its...
annual children's stamp campaign - is committed to helping children who are having difficulties. Children's Postage Stamps kicks this ass
anniversary year ends today with the announcement of the theme: resilience. Hundreds of thousands of children in the Netherlands
face poverty, loneliness or problems at home and lack a good basis to be resilient.
Kinderposttempels is committed to these children and wants to give them a safe base, support and attention.
Princess Beatrix during the children's stamp campaign in 1948 and King Willem-Alexander with the stamps with the photos he took in 2012
In 1924, a royal decree stipulated that stamps may be issued with a surcharge 'for the share
child'. Children's stamps is a fact and the campaign has now grown into Dutch cultural heritage. Many Dutch people
have fond memories of going door to door with classmates during the annual children's stamp campaign. Each
More than 3,000 schools and 125,000 children participate every year. What is less known is that the foundation was responsible for its establishment in 1979
of the Kindertelefoon and laid a foundation for the establishment of the Children's Ombudsman in 2011. Over the years,
the collaboration between Kinderposttempels and PostNL on special children's stamps, such as those with the princesses Amalia,
Alexia and Ariane photographed by King Willem-Alexander and stamps designed by well-known illustrators such as Dick
Bruna, Max Velthuijs and Fiep Westendorp.
Children's stamps through the years
Help is still desperately needed
Unfortunately, the work of Kinderposttempels is still desperately needed. Sofie Vriends, director of
Kinderposttempels says: "Currently, more than 230,000 children in the Netherlands live below the poverty line. 1 in 4
children have a parent with an addiction or psychological problems, and 1 in 8 children receive youth care. For this
children it is extremely important to receive support in their environment and to learn skills that help them to
can deal with difficult situations. We are committed to them with heart and soul, now and in the future."
Kinderposttempels helps children by supporting projects such as Villa Pinedo , a community for children of divorce
parents, and Triple Threat , which uses young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods as role models and a community
creates. Kinderposttempels also has several of its own projects, such as The Children's Wallet : a special fund
for which children can choose their own destination, and Kamer voor een Kind, an initiative that deals with financial and
practical help ensures that children in foster families get their own room.
Resilience as a superpower
The anniversary year of Children's Postage Stamps focuses on the theme of resilience. According to the foundation, resilience is one
superpower that you can use in difficult situations. Having a secure base and receiving loving attention help with this
and ensure that children stand on firmer ground. Kinderposttempels is committed to working together with project partners
to provide structural support to increase the resilience of children who are having difficulties. Also offers
Children's stamps provide tools for schools to get started with this in the classroom. There are several during the anniversary year
additional activities around the theme of resilience.
Source figures: CBS, Trimbos Institute and Defense for Children.
