My Backpack team

My Backpack is developed with and for children in foster care based on the idea of Bep van Sloten and Rinske Mansens. The copyright for the use of the methodology lies with them.


Bep van Sloten
is international consultant and trainer in the field of child protection. She specialised in family strengthening programmes, foster care and other forms of alternative care in a family type setting. She has worked in many countries worldwide and can travel to your country to introduce the methodology in your organisation.

Rinske Mansens is dramatherapist/child psychologist (MA) en psychotherapist (i.o.)  and has a broad experience in working with foster children, their parents and foster parents. She delivers the workshops for children and training those working with the methodology.

Mathijs Euwema is psychologist and director of International Child Development Initiatives. He has worked for children and youth in many countries and  has vast experience in capacity building of local partner organizations and conducting training. In My Backpack training he focusses on topics like the effect of trauma, separation and loss, brain development and promoting attachment.

The project is developed in cooperation with a team of media specialists and child psychologists from the Practise for Mental Health for youth De Binnenplaats in Voorburg and tested with the organisations for foster care in Utrecht and Amersfoort: Pleegzorgvoorziening Youke and Stichting Gereformeerde Jeugdzorg Nederland. It is also implemented and available in the provinces Groningen and Zeeland: Elker Pleegzorg and Juvent Pleegzorg

My Backpack is trained and implemented in Sweden, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Turkey.
Click on the country name to link to the websites of our partners.

Please mail us at email hidden; JavaScript is required if you would like to start working with us or require more information on how this project can be tailormade for your country.