Kortrijk bridge figures reach half as many families with children

The bridge figures connect vulnerable children and their families with all measures and services in Kortrijk that are intended to tackle poverty. They handle people’s questions themselves or direct them to the right services and centers. They therefore reach more people, but the number of requests for help has also risen sharply by almost 80 percent. These questions increasingly concern physical health, leisure time and housing. More and more questions are also about practical help or administration, such as banking and insurance matters, or the tax form.

“Right Approach”

“The fact that we are reaching more and more families means that the proximity approach is the right one,” says alderman of social affairs Philippe De Coene. “The recent expansion of the OCMW, the new community-oriented social work, reinforces that: we are where the people are, at school, in the neighbourhoods, in the community centers or in people’s homes.”

There are eight bridge figures in Kortrijk. Six are permanently connected to a school: Sint-Jozef, Sint-Theresia, ‘t Fort, Sint-Amand Noord, the Dobbelsteen Heule and Drie Hofsteden. The other 30 primary schools receive support from a mobile mediator.