The Children's Castle

't Kinderkasteeltje has a history in which the care for children is central. Currently, 't Kinderkasteeltje houses a daycare center and a Center for Child Care and Family Support.

The baronesses Louise and Augusta Kervyn de Volkaersbeke built the neo-Gothic castle 'La Tourelle' in 1882. The original L-shaped castle with corner tower forms the right-hand part of the current building. In 1912, the family donated the castle to the Cistercian nuns of Ghent. In 1922, after several renovations, the sisters moved the 'Asylum for Nurses – The Immaculate'. The chapel was added in 1931.

The façade of the building has a colonnaded gallery with a crowning terrace. The façade of the original castle has a wide stepped gable and is marked on the ground floor by a conservatory with a curved roof on cast-iron columns. The original glass cladding of the ceiling is still present.

After the First World War, there was a great need for childcare because there were many single mothers and weakened children. After the renovations in 1922, the sisters were able to take care of about seventy children.

In 1947, Kind & Gezin recognised the day and night accommodation for children. Until the 1970s, there were about ninety children between the ages of 0 and 3 present at all times.

From 1975 onwards, many young families settled in Nazareth and the demand for daycare increased. The sisters started a day care center on their own initiative. The influx was so great that the sisters cleared an entire floor of the castle for the care of 30 children.

In 1995, the day and night shelter was converted into a Centre for Child Care and Family Support. From then on, the centre is responsible for intensive support of the child and his family during difficult periods. The social and pedagogical service was strengthened. Some of the residential admissions were phased out in favour of semi-residential and outpatient care. The conversion was also accompanied by major renovation works to improve the pedagogical quality of the stay. The renovations were always carried out with respect for the authenticity of the building.

In 1998, the CKG and daycare centre were given a new name: 't Kinderkasteeltje.

You can freely visit the oldest part of the castle, the chapel and the garden. A small exhibition highlights the evolution of this care institution and shows drawings of the building by children who stay in the Children's Castle.

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