About Samen Groeien

Samen Groeien grew out of my own experience as a mother of twins.

When my daughters were two years old, they were turned away by a pre-school because their support needs were said not to fit within the group. That moment has always stayed with me. Two is incredibly young. At that age above all, the question should not be: does this child fit within what already exists? But rather: what does this child need in order to keep developing?

I experienced first-hand how painful it is when the focus falls on what a child cannot do, when the right support is exactly what is needed to make new steps possible.

That is why Samen Groeien came to be.

At Samen Groeien, it is not the limitation or the label that takes centre stage, but the child themselves. We look at what a child can already do, where they need support and which next step is achievable. We work in a small-scale, safe environment with structure, personal attention and support that matches each child's development.

We believe that development does not unfold in the same way for every child. One child needs more time, another more repetition, calm, movement or one-to-one attention. That is why we keep looking afresh at what is right and tailor our support accordingly.

The name Samen Groeien ("Growing Together") captures exactly that starting point. A child grows step by step in their development. Parents are actively part of that, and together we grow along with what the child needs.

Our aim is for every child to feel seen, safe and taken seriously, and to be given the space to keep developing at their own pace.

"I wanted to create a place where the focus is not on what a child cannot do, but on what they need in order to grow."

Najoua Founder of Samen Groeien and mother of twins