Key Takeaways

• Vind een Buddy fills a crucial gap in parental support by matching parents with trained buddies who offer lived-experience-based guidance—not therapy, but real, relatable help.
• The platform was born from real community demand, as overwhelmed parents began seeking private, one-on-one support from moderators in online forums.
• Lizard Global played a vital role in shaping the technical direction and execution of the platform, delivering a scalable, intuitive tool for social impact.
• Municipalities and companies benefit significantly—from reduced youth care pressure and cost savings to improved employee wellbeing and productivity.
• Scalability and reporting are top priorities in the next development phase, ensuring continued growth and broader impact across the Netherlands.

When raising a child with behavioral challenges, even the most resourceful parents can feel overwhelmed, unheard, and unsupported. Despite the abundance of online content, forums, books, and mobile apps, there’s often no substitute for genuine human connection—especially in moments of personal crisis.

Vind een Buddy is a digital platform that redefines how parents access support by matching them with trained “buddies”—real parents with lived experience who offer empathy, understanding, and practical guidance. Built in collaboration with Like A Buddy and Lizard Global, this innovative tool is proving to be a game-changer in the Dutch youth care space.

To uncover the inspiration, impact, and future of this groundbreaking project, we sat down with Dagmar Halfhide, one of the two board members of Stichting OPP, the nonprofit organization behind Vind een Buddy.

What inspired the creation of “Vind een Buddy”? Was there a specific gap or story that sparked the idea?

We started with a parent community focused on children with behavioral challenges like ADHD and autism. Within this space, parents felt seen and heard—often for the first time. It became a safe haven where they could share stories, ask questions, and receive validation from others who truly understood what they were going through.

However, over time, we noticed a shift. Our moderators were being overwhelmed by private messages from parents looking for more—more clarity, more involvement, more personalized support.

They weren’t just asking questions anymore. They were saying things like,

• "Can you look at my case file with me?"
• "Can you attend a court hearing with me?"
• "I have a meeting with a care provider, and I’m dreading it."
  

We saw a clear need for individualized, one-on-one support. That’s how the idea of a buddy system emerged. A platform where parents could be matched with someone who had walked in their shoes—someone who could offer support not as a professional, but as a fellow parent. That’s how Vind een Buddy—the “Tinder of youth care”—was born.

What was your initial vision for the ideal parent-buddy experience? Has that vision evolved?

Our vision was simple but powerful: Parents should be able to find a buddy in their region who truly understands their situation. Once matched, they could begin a conversation—instantly and securely—through the platform.

This vision hasn’t changed. It remains the heartbeat of the platform.
We launched an MVP to test the waters, and today, we're refining and expanding based on user feedback to better meet the needs of both parents and buddies.

What long-term impact do you hope to achieve with the platform?

Our ultimate goal is for every parent in the Netherlands—whether facing domestic violence, a high-conflict divorce, or a child placed out of the home—to know that they are not alone.

A buddy is not a therapist or social worker. They are a companion in a difficult time. Someone who listens, understands, and empowers.

The benefits go beyond individual families:

• For municipalities: Reduced pressure on youth care, shorter waiting lists, increased parental self-reliance, and cost savings

• For companies: Improved employee well-being, reduced absenteeism, higher productivity, and increased loyalty

By offering quick, accessible, and practical support, Vind een Buddy fills a gap that neither traditional care systems nor digital content can address alone.

Why did you choose Lizard Global as your digital partner, and how has that collaboration shaped the platform?

We chose Lizard Global because they got it. They understood we weren’t a commercial business—we had a social mission. And they treated our idea with that same respect.

They also offered us a much-needed solution: combining what we initially thought would be two separate platforms into a single, unified system. Their agile approach—working in short sprints and user stories—kept us focused, flexible, and on-budget.

Their support wasn’t just technical; it was purpose-driven. Thanks to them, we’ve launched a tool that’s already making a tangible difference for families in crisis.

How do you select or train the buddies who support parents through the platform?

We recruit buddies via Facebook and referrals. Every interested parent goes through a structured intake and a training process.

Only those who remain committed after this experience are onboarded. Our selection is rigorous. Buddies must:

• Have lived experience
• Remain objective
• Avoid projecting their personal stories
• Set clear boundaries, including around availability

We also host monthly peer meetings and provide ongoing training. It’s not just about good intentions—it’s about readiness and responsibility.

What kind of feedback have you received from parents using the platform?

We’re still in our testing phase, but the early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Parents describe the platform as:

• “Super easy to use”

• “Clear and straightforward”

• “Reassuring and human-centered”

Ease of use and emotional connection were central to our design goals, and we’re thrilled that both are resonating with users.

How do you ensure a good match between parents and buddies?

We use several key criteria to make a match, and ultimately, parents choose the buddy they feel most comfortable with.
Location matters—especially if face-to-face support is needed. But so does lived expertise. If a parent is dealing with a specific issue like domestic violence, we ensure the buddy has personal experience in that area.

And if the match doesn’t work out? Parents can request a new one. Comfort and trust are essential.

What are your short- and long-term goals for scaling the platform?

We’re proud of our MVP, but scaling is a priority.

Short-term goals include:

• Growing the number of users and buddies
• Introducing a reporting dashboard to measure impact
• Improving user experience and automating the registration process

Long-term? We want every municipality in the Netherlands to adopt buddy programs. More municipal participation means more parents supported, fewer crisis cases, and a healthier, more resilient society.

How do you measure the success or impact of the platform?

Success is about reach and impact.

Each year, we aim to grow our number of buddy-parent matches. These aren’t long-term relationships—after a few months, the parent is usually ready to stand on their own. That’s the point.

We also aim to collect anonymized data that proves our value to municipalities:

• Number of parents supported
• Most common types of help requests
• Regional demand insights

This data helps us refine the platform and attract more public funding.

Are there features or improvements you hope to implement in the next phase?

Absolutely. Our top priority is a reporting and accountability dashboard to track platform activity. This feature will help us secure new partnerships with municipalities by clearly demonstrating our social impact.

We also aim to:

• Automate user onboarding

• Expand moderator tools

• Roll out new safety features and GDPR enhancements

Each feature we add is driven by one core mission: supporting families at the point of crisis and helping them find hope again.

Lizard Global—Your Digital Partner for Purpose-Driven Innovation

The success of Vind een Buddy is a powerful reminder of what happens when technology meets empathy. At Lizard Global, we specialize in building custom digital solutions that create real-world change.

Whether you're a non-profit, startup, or public sector organization, we help you bring your idea to life with:

• Mobile App Development
• Web App Development
• UX/UI Design rooted in human-centered thinking
• Growth Analytics that translate data into action
• Collaborative Workshops to shape digital strategy
  

We’re not just here to build platforms—we’re here to co-create impact.

Ready to make a difference with digital transformation? Contact Lizard Global today and let’s build something meaningful—together.