This is an article by KinderopvangTotaal, editor Carolien Stam.
"The leaders of the future are currently in our childcare centers," says Ileen Purperhart, director/owner of Hestia Childcare. "We have a duty to focus on the future." Hestia—a smaller childcare organisation with 90 employees—recently achieved B Corp certification. Just like Partou: "We want to make a difference for the world in which the children coming to us today will grow up."
Certification
B Corp stands for Benefit Corporation. It is a company certified by B Lab: a non-profit organisation that encourages the business community to invest more in people, the environment, and society. For the certification, you describe your organisational practices and work toward goals regarding social policy and environmental standards. B Corp certification is a hallmark indicating that a company is committed to a positive impact on society and the environment. There is no fixed set of requirements that certified companies must meet; instead, companies earn points for various positive activities. A minimum of 80 points (out of a maximum of 200) is required for certification.
Future-Oriented
Why would a childcare organisation want to profile itself in the areas of environment and social policy? "Because we are dealing with the future—specifically, the children," says Ileen Purperhart of Hestia. "As a childcare sector, we have a responsibility for the future of the children," adds Kim Bomer. She is the Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Partou Childcare.
Setting the Bar High
As a large enterprise, Partou has the luxury of hiring a dedicated director to lead social and environmental policy within the organisation. Hestia does not have that luxury, but it does have an intrinsically committed director. Ileen Purperhart leads this theme within Hestia and managed to get everyone on the same page in a short amount of time: "I wanted to set the bar high for myself by adopting a different attitude as a social entrepreneur compared to other businesses. For us, it’s not about ridiculously high salaries for executives, but about the impact you want to make."
Sustainability as a Core Element
"Sustainability has been in our DNA for years, and we wanted to know where we stood as an organisation in that area. The B Corp certification provides that insight and offers inspiration for new goals. It makes sustainability a part of your entire organisation."
What has the certification concretely delivered for Partou? Kim: "We have taken many actions: from green energy to assisting employees with financial difficulties. And early potty training for toddlers to minimize the use of diapers. One thing is of great importance and relatively easy to achieve—provided you have support at the highest level: you must formally state in the company's articles of association that you want to make a positive contribution to society and the environment. You can then rely on that for every action you take."
Setting Goals
At Hestia, Ileen Purperhart started the sustainability process "from the bottom up." "I wanted social and ecological goals to be supported from the ground up. So, together with all employees, we looked at the United Nations' '17 goals you share' (from 2015 – the so-called Sustainable Development Goals). Everyone chose one or two of those goals to work on personally within their group. People became so enthusiastic that they asked if they could choose more than two goals." At Partou, the works council was involved in selecting these goals.
Awareness
How do you get an entire organisation behind social and environmental objectives? "For us, it starts with formulating a mission," says Kim Bomer of Partou. "In that mission, we anchor everything we do in the social and environmental fields. Subsequently, it is up to the people at the locations to translate that awareness into actions. We have locations that are super enthusiastic, while at others, it takes longer to get people on board."
Ultimately, as a social entrepreneur, you must embrace the initiatives coming from within the organisation and show others what can be picked up, says Kim. "Our pedagogical professionals create a socially and emotionally safe environment in which everyone can and is allowed to be themselves. In doing so, they lay an important foundation for an inclusive and resilient society in the future."
Ileen Purperhart is currently no longer the director of Hestia. She retired at the beginning of October and handed the organisation over to the next generation.