Ana Claudia Luz, Amsterdam – September in the Netherlands marks Terug naar school, the return to school. For many families in Amsterdam’s multicultural Nieuw-West district, the season carries familiar routines: sharpened pencils, lunch boxes, shoes, and the smell of books. But for the children of undocumented families, September is not just a fresh start. It is a fight for survival in a system that accepts their presence in classrooms but is not always able to offer little certainty for their future.
That fight has given rise to Mijn Toekomst – Jouw Toekomst (My Future – Your Future), or MTJT, a grassroots initiative by Road of Hope Foundation. The project is dedicated to supporting undocumented children (0-6 years old), mostly from Latin America, and their caregivers, as they navigate the maze of Dutch schools and social life.
“These families live under constant stress: unstable housing, irregular incomes, the fear of being seen,” says Marisela, the initiator and coordinator of the project. “When I sit with them, I hear the same phrases over and over: We are very late. We have no transportation. We can’t pay the membership fee. And yet they still come, because they want a future for their children.”
The Weight of Homework
Most Dutch schools emphasize individualized, child-centered education. In the lower grades, lessons are built around themes; later, children are encouraged to ask questions about the world and pursue their own inquiries. Reading, arithmetic, and language form the foundation, and homework plays a key role in building responsibility and preparing for secondary education. But for many undocumented parents and grandparents, who often lack Dutch language skills, homework becomes an almost insurmountable hurdle.
At one school in Nieuw-West with nearly 200 students, Marisela recalls helping a Brazilian grandmother caring for two grandsons. “They say I need to help them at home with reading, but I can’t,” the old woman explained. “I don’t understand anything. I just bring them and pick them up. Their mother is working.”
MTJT volunteers, who are parents of students themselves, step in where families struggle. They translate instructions, explain school policies, and even sit with children during online Dutch language improvement sessions to encourage progress.
Parents as Partners
Parental involvement is a cornerstone of Dutch education: schools expect parents to contribute not only to their child’s development but also to the wider school community. They organize information mornings for prospective parents, invite caregivers into classrooms, and seek collaboration.
Yet for undocumented families, juggling informal jobs, moving to different places, or fearing exposure to authorities, participation is fraught with barriers. Missing identification papers, vaccination records, or previous transcripts complicate enrollment. Even when schools are open to receive, parents often need translation to grasp simple instructions.
Marisela’s role extends beyond interpretation. Through MTJT, she develops materials in families’ native languages, leads workshops, and coaches parents in adapting their child-rearing practices to a culture vastly different from their own. “At the end, I have to educate the parents on how to raise their kids in a different environment,” she says. “Otherwise, their children will always be one step behind.”
The Hidden Toll
Undocumented children in the Netherlands are guaranteed access to primary education, but the right often stops there. At 18, many lose legal protections: they cannot access public student loans or government support, effectively closing the door on higher education.
Meanwhile, daily life for their families is shaped by instability. Housing often means emergency places, precarious sublets, or overcrowded apartments. Parents, barred from formal employment, rely on informal work or church charity. A 2023 study highlighted high levels of anxiety, depression, and social isolation among undocumented parents and children – symptoms of a life lived in the shadows.
For the children, the psychological burden is compounded by seasonal setbacks. After summer breaks, teachers often find that undocumented students have regressed in their Dutch language skills. Volunteers from MTJT provide continuity, ensuring that the fragile thread of progress is not entirely lost.
Uncertain Future, Active Hope
The Dutch system allows these children to learn, but it cannot guarantee what comes after. The irony is stark: undocumented children are taught to read, calculate, and dream like their peers, but their futures are blocked by paperwork they do not have and choices they cannot make. As education advocates often say, “Education protects their right to a beginning,” but unfortunately, for undocumented children, not always to a life beyond it.
For the children of Nieuw-West, September’s Terug naar school is not only about sharpened pencils and new routines. It is about clinging to the possibility that their future – their Toekomst – will one day be as open as that of their classmates.
Until then, Mijn Toekomst – Jouw Toekomst will remain supporting and giving them hope.