Kennedy Stichting receives subsidies after work stoppages, salary payment today

This brings a resolution after days of uncertainty and work stoppages. Earlier, the management warned that the financial problems were jeopardising care for 24 deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Staff had still not received their salaries on Tuesday, October 6. Employees therefore stopped work and went home at 10 a.m. They also left the workplace at the same time on Wednesday, October 7, because payment had still not been made. With the receipt of the funds, the foundation can now proceed with payment today.

Months bridged with rental income and donations

Key News reported on October 6 that, according to the management, the Kennedy Stichting had submitted its subsidy application for 2026 as early as the beginning of February. Yet the funds had still not been received eight months later. Director Lea Welzijn said at the time that the foundation was paying salaries and daily expenses as much as possible from rental income and donations. According to her, that income was insufficient to keep the organisation running.

The financial need was so great that the board had previously given employees SRD 1,000 as temporary assistance. The management also warned of a possible closure of the boarding facility if payment did not materialise. The work stoppages raised concerns about the continuation of care for the children, who come from various districts and the interior, among other places.

Social Affairs referred to Finance

In a separate Key News report on October 6, Director of Social Affairs Sherwin Valies stated that his ministry had fully completed the administrative processing of the subsidy. According to him, the documents were with the ministerie van Financiën (Ministry of Finance) for payment approval.

Valies called the non-payment of salaries unacceptable. He stressed that employees must be paid no later than the last day of the month. According to him, subsidies for other institutions were also awaiting further financial processing. The minister of Sociale Zaken (Social Affairs) had meanwhile contacted her counterpart at Finance about the matter.

The minister, the deputy minister and Valies have been dealing with the matter in recent days to ensure payment is arranged.

Earlier warnings about late subsidies

The problems are not isolated. On March 20, Key News already reported on a joint urgent appeal by private social institutions, including the Kennedy Stichting, Huize Tyltyl, Therapeutisch Dagcentrum Anniecrèche and Stichting STIGU. They warned that delayed subsidies were putting pressure on the payment of salaries and daily operations.

With the funds received, the Kennedy Stichting can now pay the outstanding salaries. The new information does not yet show what arrangements have been made to prevent future delays in the provision of subsidies.