Home-Start Vlaanderen

What Home-Start Vlaanderen does

Home-Start Vlaanderen vzw is a Belgian non-profit organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Leuven, delivering volunteer-led family support to vulnerable families with children under 12 across the Flanders and Brussels regions. Its core service pairs families with trained volunteer "gezinsbuddy's" (family buddies) who provide in-home, empowerment-focused support on a free-of-charge basis to beneficiaries. The organization operates through a headquarters function in Leuven and a decentralized network of 10 local departments, several of which are hosted by partner organizations such as Amiacasa vzw (Haspengouw/Hasselt), StapSteen vzw (Brussels), and Wiegwijs vzw (Waasland). A volunteer training program (startopleiding) standardizes the support methodology, and the organization is affiliated with the international Home-Start federation active in 30+ countries.

The service offering has expanded beyond general family support to include Taalmaatjes (Language Buddy), a volunteer-led service addressing Dutch-language acquisition needs among vulnerable families. Beneficiary intake occurs primarily through referral partnerships with public-sector welfare actors — including OCMW (Public Centers for Social Welfare), Kind en Gezin, CAW, CLB, and Huizen van het Kind — and through regional host organizations.

Revenue is not disclosed publicly, but the organization operates a diversified non-profit funding model combining government subsidies (notably from Opgroeien, the Flemish Child and Family Agency), foundation grants (King Baudouin Foundation, Kindergeluk), project-based regional funding (LEADER Hageland+), corporate and service-club contributions, and individual donations processed via an online platform. The organization employs 27 paid staff and is led by Karlien Craps as Algemeen directeur. No proprietary technology platform or AI capability is indicated.

Name

Home-Start Vlaanderen

Legal name

Home-Start Vlaanderen vzw

Website

https://homestartvlaanderen.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Home-Start Vlaanderen vzw is a Belgian non-profit founded in 1991 that delivers free, volunteer-led family support to vulnerable families with children under 12 across Flanders and Brussels, funded through donations, government subsidies, and foundation partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family and Social Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Social Assistance (624), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Home Visiting & Parent Coaching Programs (EDACALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK), Family & Parenting Education (Family Literacy, Parenting Skills) (EDAAAFAF)

Keywords

• Family support services
• Volunteer mentoring
• Preventive social services
• Parenting assistance
• Community social work

Headquarters

HQ city

Leuven

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Gifts: Home-Start Vlaanderen accepts individual donations through various payment methods including one-time, monthly, and annual giving options. Donors can contribute via bank transfer to BE71 7343 0700 1369 and can receive fiscal attestations for tax purposes.
2. Government Subsidies and Grants: The organization receives funding from various government sources and public grants to support operations across Flanders and Brussels.
3. Corporate and Foundation Partnerships: Financial partnerships with foundations, companies, banks, service clubs, and other organizations provide sustained funding support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Home-Start Vlaanderen recruits, trains, and matches volunteer 'gezinsbuddy's' (family buddies) with vulnerable families with children under 12 years old and expectant parents. Trained volunteers conduct weekly home visits for a minimum of one year, providing emotional support, practical help with administration, parenting guidance, Dutch language practice, and social network building. The organization delivers these services free of charge through 10 local departments across Flanders and Brussels.

Product overview

Home-Start Vlaanderen is a nonprofit family support organization offering a single core service: trained volunteer 'gezinsbuddy' (family buddy) support delivered weekly to families with young children under 12 years old, from pregnancy onward. The organization operates across multiple regional divisions (Aalst, Antwerpen, Brussel, Hageland, Haspengouw, Hasselt, Herent, Leuven, Ninove, Waasland) and provides services including family support at home, perinatal support, family coaching, and language matching (taalmaatjes). All services are delivered through trained volunteers who receive onboarding, monthly intervision meetings, and coordinator support, with pathways for becoming a volunteer, receiving support, or partnering with local governments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gezinsondersteuning aan Huis (Family Support at Home)
• Gezinsbuddy Volunteer Program
• Taalmaatjes (Language Buddy)
• Infosessies (Information Sessions)

Quantifiable outcome

• Families receive support for a minimum of one year with weekly visits
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Opgroeien (Flemish Child and Family Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency supporting child and family welfare in Flanders that provides funding and strategic alignment for Home-Start services.
• Amiacasa vzwcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization hosting Home-Start operations in Haspengouw and Hasselt regions. Julie Appermans and Liese Claesen serve as coordinators for both regions through Amiacasa.
• StapSteen vzwcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization hosting Home-Start Brussel operations. Sandra Stolk coordinates the Brussels-wide services from their location in Laken.
• Wiegwijs vzwcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization hosting Home-Start Waasland operations. Tine Callebout coordinates Waasland services through Wiegwijs.
• Kind en Gezin (Child and Family Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlemish government agency for child and family services. Referrers families to Home-Start and collaborates on family support. Professionals from Kind en Gezin often identify families who would benefit from Home-Start's low-threshold support.
• Huis van het Kind (House of the Child)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of local family support centers across Flanders that partner with Home-Start to provide mobile family support services. Multiple Huizen van het Kind host Home-Start departments including those in Aalst, Antwerpen, Diest, and Aarschot.
• OCMW/CPAS (Public Center for Social Welfare)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal social welfare organizations that refer vulnerable families to Home-Start and collaborate on integrated family support.
• CAW (Centrum voor Algemeen Welzijn - Center for General Welfare)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral welfare centers that refer families to Home-Start and collaborate on addressing family welfare needs.
• CLB (Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding - Center for Student Guidance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool guidance centers that collaborate with Home-Start on supporting families with children's educational needs.
• Schools and Educational InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchools that refer families to Home-Start and collaborate on supporting children's educational development and school-related challenges.
• Hospitals and Healthcare ProvidersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare institutions including UZ Gasthuisberg that refer families, particularly for perinatal support, and collaborate with Home-Start on family health needs.
• Local Municipalities and City GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal governments across Flanders and Brussels partner with Home-Start to provide family support services. Multiple municipalities host Home-Start departments and provide operational support. These include cities like Aalst, Antwerpen, Leuven, Hasselt, Ninove, and others.
• Iedereen verdient vakantie (Everyone Deserves Vacation)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that provides financial support to families supported by Home-Start, enabling them to access vacation opportunities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• CAW (Centrum voor Algemeen Welzijn): Belgian network of general welfare centers providing social support, counseling, and referrals to vulnerable families and individuals. Comparable in that it serves overlapping at-risk families and is one of Home-Start's referral partners.
• CLB (Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding): Flemish school-based student guidance centers that support children and families with developmental, emotional, and educational needs. Comparable target population and a referral partner for Home-Start.
• OCMW/CPAS: Municipal Public Centers for Social Welfare in Belgium delivering income support, social services, and family assistance. Operates at similar local-government level across the same municipalities Home-Start serves, and is a key referral partner.
• Opgroeien: Flemish government agency for child and family welfare, formerly including Kind en Gezin. Funds and aligns with Home-Start Vlaanderen strategically, and delivers a broader portfolio of family-support services.
• Kind en Gezin: Flemish government agency delivering preventive child and family services including home visits, well-baby clinics, and parenting support. Highly comparable target population (0-12) and overlap in home-visiting service delivery, but state-funded rather than volunteer-based.

Direct peers

• Home-Start UK: UK origin of the Home-Start international network. Uses the same trained-volunteer, weekly-home-visit model for vulnerable families with young children, making it the closest international peer in service methodology.
• Amiacasa vzw: Belgian nonprofit that hosts Home-Start operations in Hasselt and Haspengouw regions. Comparable mission in social and family support, and acts as an embedded operational partner.
• StapSteen vzw: Brussels-based nonprofit hosting Home-Start Brussel operations. Comparable in family and community support delivery in the Brussels-Capital Region.
• Huizen van het Kind: Flemish local-network of child and family centers that host multiple Home-Start departments and deliver complementary preventive family support services to overlapping populations of vulnerable families.
• Home-Start Worldwide: International umbrella network of Home-Start affiliates using the same volunteer gezinsbuddy model. Directly comparable as the parent federation of Home-Start Vlaanderen, with shared training methodology and brand.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@home-startvlaanderen9654
• Facebookfacebook.com/homestartvlaanderen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/homestartvlaanderen
• Instagraminstagram.com/homestart_vlaanderen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Home-Start Vlaanderen