World Forum International Organizing Committee Biography

Betsy van de Grift

My name: Betsy van de Grift
My organisation: SWP Publisher

I started working as a psychiatric nurse when I was 17 years old and have been working in the care industry since then for about ten years. After that I worked as a social worker with children and mentally disabled children and adults. In the mean time I studied social work, too.

When it came to a point that I became a manager, I shifted from care and social work to childcare.

After finishing a study business administration a became a managing director of three childcare companies in a row.

The most interesting phase in my carrier was, when the childcare industry was privatised in my country: in 2005. That was - by law- a very big change for everyone: both for the parents and the providers of childcare as well. From that point the companies were no longer subsidised, but now the parents are! You can imagine the change that has caused...

Now, since 2008 I'm working as a publicist and consultant. I'm very much interested in the developments in early care and education, developments in my own country and all over the world. I think we have so much to share and to learn from each other. And, on top of that, our World Forum is so much fun!