SOFT tulip is a network of Dutch care organisations working with local partners in Central and Eastern Europe to build inclusive care and support. Our work focuses on people with disabilities, older people and people with psychosocial support needs.
Our vision
We envision a society in which everyone can participate fully and on an equal footing. Children grow up in families, not in institutions. Care and support are organised close to home, within the community. People are in control of their own lives. This vision is grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Our mission
We support the transition from large-scale institutions to community-based care. For us, deinstitutionalisation is not about closing doors; it is about opening up lives. Until 2030, we focus on three interconnected themes:
- Deinstitutionalisation and community-based care: moving from large institutions to supported living, family-based care and local services.
- Mental health and psychosocial support: recovery-oriented, trauma-informed and embedded in primary care and the community.
- Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) and family empowerment: so that young children with developmental delays or disabilities can grow up at home.
How we work
We translate Dutch care expertise into local practice. We connect that practice with policy and with lived experience. Local leadership and ownership are central to our approach. Rather than offering one-off aid, we build long-term partnerships. In these partnerships, Dutch professionals and their colleagues abroad learn from each other, which strengthens care on both sides of the border.
Our work rests on three pillars: connecting, innovating and strengthening. It is guided by four core values: inclusion, a human-centred approach, connection and shared learning.