Wiegwijs

What Wiegwijs does

Wiegwijs vzw is a Belgian nonprofit association (vereniging zonder winstoogmerk) recognized by the Flemish government agency Kind en Gezin as the organizing body ('organiserend bestuur') for preventive child and family services across Flanders and the Brussels-Capital Region. Founded in 1995 as Kind & Preventie by four organizations (CM, Femma, Ferm, and Markant) and rebranded to Wiegwijs in 2020, the organization delivers free, in-person support to families with young children through three main service lines: 209-215 consultation bureaus offering child development monitoring, growth tracking, and vaccinations staffed by Kind en Gezin medical professionals alongside 3,500+ trained Wiegwijs volunteers; five 'inloopteams' (drop-in teams) in Gent, Antwerpen, Brussel, Ronse, and Menen providing low-threshold parenting support for vulnerable families with children up to six years; and Home-Start Waasland, a volunteer-based home-visit family support program.

The organization operates as a service-delivery nonprofit with no proprietary technology platform; all services are human-delivered and free at point of use. Ancillary offerings include the Ruilboetiek clothing swap, baby equipment lending, baby massage and parenting workshops, and partnership-based prenatal projects such as Ummundi (with De Kraamvogel). Operations are deeply embedded in the Flemish civic-society ecosystem, co-located within municipal 'Huizen van het Kind' facilities and delivered in partnership with local governments, the Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie in Brussels, and civil-society organizations.

Wiegwijs is funded primarily through public subsidies from Kind en Gezin under the Decreet Organisatie Preventieve Gezinsondersteuning, with additional support from VGC, local municipalities, and co-founder CM (Christelijke Mutualiteiten), which also provides the volunteer data-governance framework. In 2017 the organization decided to integrate operations within CM while retaining Wiegwijs as a separate legal entity. Revenue, headcount, and financial KPIs are not publicly disclosed; the volunteer base of more than 3,500 is the primary workforce multiplier, with a much smaller paid staff supporting coordination and operations.

Name

Wiegwijs

Legal name

Wiegwijs vzw

Website

https://wiegwijs.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Wiegwijs vzw is a Belgian nonprofit operating 209-215 child health consultation bureaus and 5 drop-in support teams across Flanders and Brussels, delivering free preventive parenting and family support to families with young children and funded primarily by Kind en Gezin.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family and Child Welfare Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Education & Parent Coaching (Sleep, Safety, Illness Management) (EDACAMAN), Mental Health & Infant/Early Childhood Consultation (0–5) (EDACAFAO)

Keywords

• Child health monitoring
• Family support services
• Preventive child care
• Parenting consultation services
• Community child welfare

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussel

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Subsidies and Grants: Wiegwijs operates as a recognized nonprofit organization (vzw) subsidized by Kind en Gezin, the Flemish government body responsible for preventive child and family care. The organization receives public funding in exchange for operating consultation bureaus and walk-in teams under a quality and regulatory framework set by Kind en Gezin.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wiegwijs vzw operates a network of 209-215 consultation bureaus across Flanders and Brussels-Capital Region where families receive free child development monitoring, growth tracking, vaccinations, and parental guidance for children from 4 weeks to 30 months. The organization also runs five inloopteams (low-threshold drop-in support points) in Gent, Antwerpen, Brussel, Ronse, and Menen, providing parenting support, group activities, and individual counseling for vulnerable families with children up to 6 years, including during pregnancy. Supplementary services include Home-Start Waasland (volunteer home-based family support), ruilboetieken (clothing swap shops), and the Ummundi prenatal program delivered in partnership with De Kraamvogel.

Product overview

Wiegwijs vzw is a nonprofit organization that operates a portfolio of parenting support services in Flanders and Brussels. Its core offerings include 209-215 consultation bureaus for child health monitoring (offering vaccinations, growth tracking, hearing and eye tests) and 5 inloopteams (drop-in centers) in Gent, Antwerpen, Brussel, Ronse, and Menen that provide group activities, individual support, and material assistance for vulnerable families with children up to 6 years. Additional services include Home-Start Waasland (family support at home), ruilboetieken (clothing swap shops), uitleendiensten (lending services), and workshops such as babymassage and parenting groups. The organization relies on over 3,500 volunteers and is recognized by Kind en Gezin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consultatiebureaus (Consultation Bureaus) Network of 209-215 government-recognized consultation bureaus across Flanders and Brussels-Capital Region offering free child development monitoring, growth tracking, vaccinations, hearing and eye tests, and parental guidance for children from 4 weeks to 30 months. Operated in partnership with Kind en Gezin which provides the medical staff (doctors and nurses).
• Inloopteams (Drop-in Support Points) Five low-threshold drop-in team locations (Gent, Antwerpen, Menen, Brussel, Ronse) offering free parenting support for vulnerable families with children up to 6 years, including during pregnancy. Services include reception, group activities, play and meet-ups, individual support, and material assistance.
• Home-Start Waasland (Family Support at Home) Volunteer-based home support service for families in the Waasland region. Trained volunteers spend weekly time with families for up to one year, providing homework guidance, joint activities, school meeting accompaniment, social connection building, and referrals to other organizations. Operated under the Home-Start Vlaanderen umbrella model.
• Ruilboetiek (Clothing Swap Shop) Clothing exchange service offering children's clothing (sizes 50-98) and pregnancy/breastfeeding clothing for free at various Wiegwijs locations, including the Ronse inloopteam.
• Ummundi (Prenatal Support Project) Prenatal support initiative in collaboration with De Kraamvogel offering centering pregnancy sessions for expectant mothers, covering relaxation, childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, and emotional support during pregnancy through pairing pregnant women with midwives.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Kind en GezincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKind en Gezin is the Flemish government agency responsible for preventive child and family care. It recognizes and subsidizes Wiegwijs as the organizing body for consultation bureaus. Kind en Gezin sets quality standards, provides medical staff (doctors, nurses, regional nurses), defines the care program, inspects operations, and subsidizes Wiegwijs's network of 215 consultation bureaus.
• Huizen van het Kind (Houses of the Child)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Huizen van het Kind are key partners providing physical locations for Wiegwijs inloopteams and consultation activities. Important partners include Huis van het Kind Antwerpen-Noord Pothoek, Huis van het Kind Merksem, Huis van het Kind Deurne-Noord, Huis van het Kind Brussel locations, and Huis van het Kind Gent.
• Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie (VGC)coreOthersThe Flemish Community Commission in Brussels provides funding and regulatory support for Wiegwijs operations in the Brussels-Capital Region.
• Lokale besturen (Local municipalities)coreOthersLocal municipalities across Flanders provide support and facilities for Wiegwijs consultation bureaus and inloopteams. They are important local partners for the delivery of family support services.
• CM (Christelijke Mutualiteit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCM (Christian Mutualities) is one of the founding partner organizations of Wiegwijs (along with Femma, Ferm, and Markant). CM is a Belgian health insurance fund and provides volunteers, resources, and operational support. CM co-manages cookies on the Wiegwijs website and is a co-data controller.
• Home-Start VlaanderensecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome-Start Vlaanderen is the umbrella organization for Home-Start family support programs in Flanders. Wiegwijs operates Home-Start Waasland as a local implementation of this model.
• Opgroeien vzwsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpgroeien vzw is a partner organization that receives and processes family data. Wiegwijs shares and processes personal data with Opgroeien vzw in the context of family and parenting support services.
• Groeiteam GentsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWiegwijs Gent operates as one of the locations of the Groeiteam Gent, a city-level integrated child and family support network in Ghent.
• GWC Brugse Poort, KDV Villa Boempatat, KDV De Palmboom, KDV Kriebelhuis, I-mens onthaaloudersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWiegwijs Gent collaborates with these neighborhood organizations to run the Ratatouille cooking and parenting group for families with children up to 8 years.
• Ism Ligo BrusseleerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWiegwijs Brussel collaborates with Ism Ligo Brusseleer for the Dutch language practice group (Praatgroep Nederlands) within the inloopteam activities.
• De KraamvogelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDe Kraamvogel is a partner in the Ummundi prenatal project together with Wiegwijs inloopteam Pothoek in Antwerpen.
• CM (for volunteer privacy)secondaryOthersCM provides the privacy policy framework for Wiegwijs volunteers, as referenced in the privacy statement: 'voor de verwerking van de gegevens van de vrijwilligers verwijzen we je graag door naar de algemene privacyverklaring vrijwilligers van CM.'
• Femma, Ferm, MarkantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFemma (formerly Kristelijke Arbeiders Vrouwenbeweging), Ferm (formerly Katholiek Vormingswerk van Landelijke vrouwen), and Markant (formerly Christelijke Beweging voor Vrouwen uit de middengroepen) were founding partner organizations alongside CM that established Kind & Preventie (now Wiegwijs) in 1995. These women's organizations originally mobilized volunteers for consultation bureaus.
• Middenveldorganisaties (civil society organizations) focused on child health and preventionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious midfield organizations that prioritize child health and prevention and are concerned about the vulnerability of young families collaborate with Wiegwijs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CAW (Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk): Flemish network of Centra Algemeen Welzijnswerk providing broader social welfare services including family support, youth guidance, and crisis intervention. Overlaps with Wiegwijs's vulnerable-family support work but operates across a wider social-services portfolio rather than specializing in early-childhood preventive care.
• Gezinsbond: Largest Flemish family organization with 2.4M+ members, advocating for family-friendly policy and offering member services, discounts, and parenting information. Comparable in target audience (families with children) and Flemish civil-society orientation, but operates as a broad membership association rather than a service-delivery nonprofit.

Direct peers

• Huizen van het Kind: Flemish network of local 'Houses of the Child' offering integrated child and family support across municipalities. Wiegwijs co-locates inloopteams within multiple Huizen van het Kind locations, making this network a direct operational peer and partner for community-embedded family services.
• Home-Start Worldwide: International federation of Home-Start programs offering volunteer-led home visiting support to families with young children. Wiegwijs operates Home-Start Waasland as a member of this network, making Home-Start Worldwide the parent peer for the home-visiting component of its portfolio.
• Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance (ONE): French-speaking Belgian public agency providing equivalent preventive child-health consultation services (ONE Consultations) for children 0-6 in Wallonia and Brussels, mirroring Wiegwijs's role under Kind en Gezin in Flanders. Same mission, same population, parallel regional mandate.
• De Kraamvogel vzw: Belgian nonprofit specializing in maternity care, postnatal home support, and breastfeeding counseling. Co-partner with Wiegwijs in the Ummundi prenatal project; directly comparable as a Belgian nonprofit providing early-childhood and maternal support services.
• Opgroeien vzw: Flemish agency overseeing integrated child and family policy, including preventive support, youth care, and adoption. A core Wiegwijs partner that processes family data and shares service pathways; operates in the same Flemish preventive-care ecosystem with overlapping family-support mandate.

Regional players

• La Ligue des Familles: Walloon and Brussels-based family advocacy and services organization, parallel to Gezinsbond in Flanders. Operates primarily in French-speaking Belgium, providing family support, parenting education, and policy advocacy — comparable in mission but in a different language community.
• Solidaris (Solidaris Mutualité): Belgian socialist health insurance mutual and federation of socialist mutualities, parallel to CM but politically distinct. Comparable as a Belgian mutual health organization with social-services orientation, though Solidaris operates across Wallonia and Flanders rather than specializing in early-childhood preventive services.

Others

• Kind en Gezin: Flemish government agency that subsidizes, regulates, and provides medical staff for Wiegwijs's consultation bureaus. Not a peer but a parent-funder; included because its policy decisions directly determine Wiegwijs's operating scope and funding trajectory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Wiegwijs.be
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wiegwijs
• Xx.com/wiegwijs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wiegwijs