Trying to focus during your yoga session or spin class can be a challenge when you’re worried about your baby. Workouts are more relaxing (and beneficial) when you know your child is nearby and well cared for. Here’s a comprehensive list of gyms in Amsterdam that have a daycare service. It’s a good idea to visit the gyms and their daycares to get an overall feeling for them; most gym daycares offer a trial period before signing a contract.

Sport Plaza Mercator

Location: West, Jan Galenstraat 315

Daycare Times: Monday to Friday 09:00 to 12:00, Saturday 09:30 to 13:00

Maximum time: 1.5 hours

Cost: Included in the adult membership fee

Ages: 0–4 (no separate child membership required)

There is a pool next door, and Candyland across the street in case your kids have some energy left in them!

Oostergym

Location: Oost, Helmholtzstraat 61

Daycare Times: Daily 09:00 to 10:15 or 10:15 to 11:30

Maximum time: 1 hour

Cost: Included in the adult membership

Ages: 4 months to 4 years

Their maximum capacity is 5 kids at any given time.

Splash

Location: Centrum, Lijnbaansgracht 241

Daycare Times: Weekdays 09:00 to 14:00; Weekends 10:00 to 14:00

Maximum time: 2.5 hours

Cost: Included in the adult membership

Ages: No age limit

Splash knows kids like familiarity and will always try to have the same team working at the daycare. Caregivers are First Aid trained.

Health City Amstelveen

Location: Amstelveen, Escapade 1; Van der Hooplaan 237

Daycare Times: 09:00 to 12:00

Maximum Time 1.5 hours,

Cost: Included in the adult membership*

Ages: No age limit

*Health City also has special family packages in case the entire family wants to join.

The caregivers are professionals and First Aid trained. There is also a Swimming Pool (de Meerkamp) next door in case you want to take the kids swimming after your workout.

The Crunch

Location: Noord, Vlierweg 44

Daycare Times: Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 12:00; Sunday 10;00 to 13:00

Maximum Time: 1.5 hours

Cost: Not included in the adult membership. Either 5 euros per visit or 12.77 euros per month.

Ages: 0–6 years

Please note the daycare staff do not change dirty diapers.

David Lloyd

Location: Oud West, Overtoom 557

Daycare Times: 08:30 to 13:00

Maximum Time: 2 hours

Cost: not included in the adult membership;child membership prices vary.  

Ages: 3 months to 5 years.

The team at the David Lloyd daycare are professionals and First Aid trained, and have the Certificate of Good Behaviour. A team member will bring your children to the swimming pool if you choose to swim with them after your workout.

Medico Vision

Location: Oud Zuid, Olympisch Stadion 23

Daycare Times: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 09:00 to 14:30; Wednesday 09:00 to 12:00; Weekends 09:00 to 15:00

Maximum Time 2.5 hours

Cost: included in the adult membership

Ages: All ages

The caregiving team is trained in First Aid.  

Sportcity

Location: Oost, Wibautstraat 224*; Centrum, Waterlooplein, Jodenbreestraat 6 

Daycare Times: 08:45 to 11:30

Maximum Time 1.5 hours

Cost: Included in the adult membership

Ages: 3 months to 4 years

Vondelgym

Location: Oost, Wibautstraat 131C*; Oud West, Overtoom 143

Daycare Times: Monday to Saturday, 08:00 to 13:00

Maximum Time: 1.5 hours (must reserve in advance)

Cost: Included in membership

Ages: 1–5 years

*Currently, only the Wibaustraat location offers on site child care.

Vondelgym also offers exercise classes for kids, during which parents can work out. There are three age groups: 4–7, 8–13, and 13+. Please visit website for more information.

Lana Huf-Germain is a born and bred Amsterdammer. She understands the difficulties faced by international families with no grasp of the language or history, and the extra problems this brings raising a family in Amsterdam. She started Amsterdam Family Assistance to help families new to the Netherlands overcome these barriers and make them feel at home.

The post The Mamas Recommend: Amsterdam Gyms with Childcare appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

So maybe you had dreams of a specific career, studied hard, and had fulfilling roles only to have your career path paused by pregnancy? Or maybe you had your kids young, and followed your partner as his career blossomed and now you feel it’s time to make plans for your working life? But here you are, in a new country, a different culture, and with no extended family around to pick up the childcare duties as you begin your search for work. We know it’s difficult; we know it’s easier to stay in your comfort zone than step into the unknown – but here are some steps which may help you on your way.     

Qualifications

The Netherlands is a bureaucratic country, and they love to see proof of your expertise, so if you qualified outside of the Netherlands you can have your diploma officially recognised. If you are in a regulated profession this is essential in order to develop your career in the Netherlands. Even if this is not the case, it’s a useful step to be able to explain what your qualifications mean in Dutch terms. The organisation which does this is NUFFIC and part of their website is in English.

Childcare 

Next, think about childcare, because if you feel your kids are safe you can spread your wings. No matter how young – or old – your kids are, there is a form of childcare which is appropriate. Paying for childcare is not the same as having family take care of them for you, but on the other hand, you have control over how your children are cared for. It is expensive, but there is a childcare allowance (kinderopvang toeslag) that can be applied for. Many organisations are used to international families, and can provide carers who speak your home language. Check out the Amsterdam Mamas website for articles of what is available and what is the norm in Netherlands. This article is a good place to start.

Career Gaps

Let’s seize the bull by the horns and address your “career gap”. To be honest, this is less of an issue in the Netherlands than in other countries, but sadly, for what feminists may feel are negative reasons. According to government statistics, almost 50% of women in the Netherlands either don’t work or work part time, and 70% of women in the Netherlands are not financially independent. The government is stimulating the return of women to the workforce with several initiatives which could benefit you as a job seeker.

But let’s concentrate on your own career gap. Think about what you have you been doing for the past months or years. Relocating to a new country? Assimilating a new language and culture? Managing a household? Volunteering at school/childcare? These are all new experiences which have brought with them new skills. Think flexibility, adaptability, eager to take on new challenges, project management, leadership, team building. Girl, you are amazing!

Updating your Skills

If you still feel you need to upskill or retrain, then there are opportunities to do so either online or in a classic learning situation. There are online platforms with courses designed by top educational institutions, many of the courses are open access, although you’ll need to pay for the examination and certification. Coursera and Future Learn are both worth checking out. Dutch universities are some of the best in the world and offer many degree programmes in English. For more in-depth studies, begin your research here. 

Update your CV 

When you are ready to start applying for roles, it’s time to update your CV and LinkedIn profile. These are your calling cards to recruiters – the first impression a potential employer gets of you and the value you can add to their organisation. If you need tips on how to create an effective CV and LinkedIn profile, there are some great articles on the topic by LinkedIn influencer Liz Ryan, or get in touch with experts on a local level.

You Don’t Have to Be Superwoman

If the thought of going back into your old profession feels as if you will not be able to perform as well as you did before you had children, try to remember why that job was so demanding. Was it because of the burden of work? Was your boss a slave driver? Or was it because the situation did not allow you to set boundaries? If it was the last reason, then maybe taking coaching sessions will help you to see how you can approach a new job with a new, strong, mind-set.

Let’s get one thing clear, going back to work after you have had your children is not compulsory; being a full-time mom is difficult but immensely rewarding. However, if you enjoyed the work you did in the past, and you feel ready to pick that career up again, we hope these steps will help you begin that journey back to a fulfilling career and personal financial independence.

photo credit: Shutterstock

The post Getting Your Career Back on Track after Having a Baby – Getting Started appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

Types of Childcare

Kinderopvang (childcare) is used extensively in the Netherlands and there are a variety of different options available. Demand for places can be high so it is best to register your child as soon as possible, especially in busy urban areas. You can check the national childcare register to find out more about a given facility.

Kinderdagverblijf

Kinderdagverblijven are professional day care centres catering to children between the ages of 3 months and 4 years of age. Most centres are open between 07:30/08:00 and 18:00 and provide one trained staff member for every 4-8 children depending on the age group.

Day care centres vary greatly in terms of their educational policy, how they organise the children into different age groups, and also as to what is provided in the price (food, milk, nappies etc). It is definitely worth visiting the different kinderdagverblijven available in your area in order to find one best suited to your needs and childcare philosophy. Our article, Questions to Ask Your Daycare can help you prepare.

There are often long waiting lists so it is best to register your child as soon as possible, often even before your baby is born.  

Working parents are entitled to receive kinderopvang toeslag (childcare benefit) towards the cost of a kinderdagverblijf (conditions apply).

Gastouders

Gastouders are self-employed trained childminders who take care of up to six children between the ages of 0 and 13 years old, either in their own home or in the house of the parents.

Gastouders are usually found and employed via a gastouderbureau (childminder agency) who are responsible for ensuring that the childminder has all the required qualifications as well as for checking the safety and hygiene standards of the location where the children will be taken care of.  

Working parents are entitled to receive kinderopvang toeslag towards the cost of a gastouder service (conditions apply).

Peuterspeelzalen

Peuterspeelzalen are pre-school/playgroups aimed at helping to prepare children aged between 2 and 4 years old for their transition into primary school.

The groups are led by professionally trained pre-school teachers who provide an educational program focused on the growth of motor, social and intellectual skills, with a particular emphasis on language development.

A child can usually attend a peuterspeelzaal for three hours per day, either two or four times a week.

As of 2016, working parents can receive the kinderopvang toeslag towards the cost of a peuterspeelzaal (conditions apply).

Naschoolse opvang (NSO)/Buitenschoolse opvang (BSO)

The NSO (after-school care) and BSO (outside-school care) are organisations providing care for primary school aged children before and after school hours as well as during school holidays. Children can play outside, get help with homework, do crafts or take part in organised activities. Food and drink is usually provided.

Working parents are entitled to receive kinderopvang toeslag towards the cost of a NSO/BSO service (conditions apply).

Oppas

These are babysitters who usually work for a few hours a day, either in the afternoon or evening. There are a variety of different babysitters available, ranging from teenagers to qualified childminders.

Babysitters can be found either through the recommendations of friends or family or via an oppascentrale (babysitting service). Costs are not eligible for kinderopvang toeslag.

Nannies

Nannies are experienced child minders who often live in the home of the family and receive a monthly salary for taking care of the children.  

Regulations for hiring a nanny are complex and it is highly recommended to use a service such as that provided by Blue Umbrella to help navigate the Dutch legal and tax system when considering this option.

Au Pairs

An Au Pair is a person aged between 18 and 31 who comes from abroad as part of a cultural exchange programme. The Au Pair lives with the host family and receives food and board as well as a small monthly fee in return for childcare and light domestic duties.

There are strict regulations when bringing an au pair to The Netherlands, some of which are:

• The au pair must be aged between 18 and 31
• They can work a maximum of 8 hours per day, 30 hours per week
• They must have two days off per week
• They are paid between €300 and €340 per month
• An au pair can stay in The Netherlands for a maximum of 12 months, after which point they must return to their home country
• The au pair is not allowed to have any other job besides working for the family.

Families hiring an au pair are not entitled to kinderopvang toeslag towards the cost.

For more information, see our article How to Hire an Au Pair in the Netherlands.

Childcare Allowance (Kinderopvangtoeslag)

Childcare costs in the Netherlands are high. The kinderopvangtoeslag is aimed at assisting working parents cover part of the cost. Parents are entitled to a maximum of 230 hours of childcare benefit per child, depending on their situation.

Requirements (2016)

• You are working, studying (conditions apply) or following an integration course
• You have a contract with a kindercentrum (daycare centre) or gastouderbureau 
• You pay part of the childcare costs
• You have Dutch Nationality or a valid residence permit
• You receive the children’s allowance (kinderbijslag) or are currently responsible for the child
• Your child goes to a registered kinderopvang
• Your child is registered at your address
• Your child does not yet attend secondary school

For more information about your entitlement, see our Dutch Childcare Allowance article.

This article is based on an original version written by Finsens and published on Expatica. It has been updated by Hazel West.

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When you arrive in a new country it is nice to know what the babysitting culture is. Actually, you have made a good choice coming to the Netherlands: we have a babysitter culture that is based on trust and one that feels very natural. Sitters are rarely asked to show reference letters, diplomas, or passport information. 

Starting with a Babysitter

Every parent is different but, as a general rule, Dutch families usually start by asking family and friends to babysit. When their little one has reached the age of three or four years, some parents start feeling comfortable enough to also ask neighbours and babysitting agencies to help out.

Some babysitters start working as a babysitter as young as 12 but generally, 16 is considered a minimum age for babysitters. He or she should be able to manage risks and act wisely in case of emergencies.

In the Netherlands, boys and girls both work as babysitters: girls more often than boys, but it is not considered a “girls’ job”. However, we have noticed that parents strongly prefer female babysitters, especially when their children are girls. Male babysitters are, however, very popular with the parents of boys.

Finding a Babysitter

There are several ways to find a good babysitter, even if you have just arrived and don’t have a network to rely on yet.

• Talk to the few people you already know; maybe they have children old enough to babysit or you can arrange for them to watch your children sometimes and you watch theirs.
• Write a note and hang it on the noticeboard of the local supermarket or high school.
• Use an online agency to link you to a sitter or nanny. Most agencies offer both regular and one-time-only sitters, but differ in the way they select the sitter and what type of services they offer. Check carefully what the selection process is. Sometimes agencies just scan the profile the sitters fill in on the website; others perform a thorough investigation, including a social media check, and have personal meetings and training sessions.

Qualifications and Governmental Support

In English, there is a division between nannies and babysitters. In Dutch, we only have one word for this: oppas. An oppas does not need a qualification. You cannot receive financial assistance from the government for using an oppas. The sitter has to officially register at a gastouderbureau (a childminder agency) and be certified in order for parents to be eligible for child care allowance. 

(For more on the Dutch child care allowance, click here and here.)

Getting to Know the Babysitter

So, you have selected a nice babysitter. What now? In the Netherlands, most parents invite the babysitter over for a cup of coffee or tea to get to know each other. The meeting usually takes between 15 and 45 minutes and is often free of charge.

• Do this when the children are still awake so that you can see how they respond to the sitter and vice versa. In this meeting, you can make small talk about the hobbies and interests of the babysitter and explain the basic things the sitter should know.
• This is the time to discuss the fee.
• If your kids are old enough, let them give the babysitter a tour of the house and show them their rooms. In the beginning, children can find babysitters a bit scary, by giving them a task and involving them actively in the conversation, you can break the ice.
• Let the babysitter know if you would like them to cook and help around the house. It is not strange to expect the sitter to cook and eat with the kids. If you ask her to also help with the cleaning – less usual but quite practical – you should consider a higher hourly fee (read more below).

Before You Leave

• Don’t leave the house before the sitter has your phone number and knows where you are going.
• Tell the babysitter about your routine. Do you first read a book together and then brush your child’s teeth before going to bed? It’s best if the order is exactly the same as you usually do it. Does your child have a favourite and irreplaceable toy? Does this toy have a name? 
• It is not strange if your child does not want to eat or drink with the babysitter at first. It takes some time to trust and know the sitter. 
• Most parents leave some tea and cookies for the sitter.

Fee and Payment

Babysitters earn a fee based on their age and the amount of children they have to take care of. With some agencies (including ours), there are different fees when children are awake and asleep, but it is not always the case.

The official minimum wage for an 18-year-old, based on a 40-hour working week, can be found here. The average fee for a babysitter is a little higher and varies depending on where you live. In Amsterdam, sitters cost €7-15 per hour, while the average in other cities is much lower. If you ask the sitter to help you with other small tasks around the house, an hourly fee of €12-15 per hour is reasonable. For more information on how much to pay your babysitter, see NIBUD (in Dutch).

The fee babysitters ask for is sometimes predefined by the agencies that sitters work for. In this case, you often pay the agency rather than the sitter. With other agencies, or if it’s a friend or neighbour, you pay the sitter directly after you come home. This is usually in cash but sometimes by bank transfer.

The post Guide to Hiring a Babysitter in Amsterdam appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

Childcare Centers

The majority of childcare is provided by private childcare centers (kinderdagverblijf). Full-time childcare is available for babies and toddlers under the age of four. Pre- and afterschool care is available for children enrolled in primary education. For both types of childcare a subsidy is available for all working parents.

In-home Childcare

A popular alternative to childcare centers is offered by in-home childcare providers (gastouders). Childcare takes place in a small setting at the home of a private caregiver. Up to a maximum of five young children can be enrolled. This type of childcare is also available for pre- and afterschool childcare. Childcare subsidy is available for this type of childcare.

Private Childcare Givers

Parents who prefer to have a childcare giver (e.g. nanny) at their home can choose between various legally recognized forms. Parents are free to set their own terms and conditions for hiring a nanny. Please note that labor law regulations apply for employing a nanny. For nannies hired four or more days per week, irrespective of the number of hours employed per day, parents are required to set up a salary administration.

Childcare subsidy is available for hiring a nanny provided that he or she is registered at the national childcare registrar (Landelijk Register Kinderopvang en Peuterspeelzalen). The involvement of a licensed intermediary childcare agency (gastouderbureau) is required. Registration conditions and fees apply.

Hiring an au pair is bound to strict rules supervised by the Dutch Immigration Services (IND). The involvement of a licensed au-pair agency is required. No subsidy is available for this type of childcare.

Childcare Allowance

Subsidy for childcare is provided directly to the parents in the form of an allowance. This allowance is handled by a dedicated allowances unit of the Dutch Tax Office: Belastingdienst/Toeslagen.

The Dutch childcare allowance is available to all working parents who have their child(ren) enrolled with a childcare provider registered at the national childcare registrar (Landelijk Register Kinderopvang en Peuterspeelzalen). Both parents are required to have a gainful income (either by employment or self-employment).

Childcare allowance has to be applied for within three months after you child is enrolled with a childcare provider. The allowance is provided on a provisional basis as the amount is linked to your aggregate income for the year. After filing your Dutch income tax, the actual childcare allowance entitlement will be determined by the Dutch Tax Office. The actual childcare allowance amount will be reconciled with the provisional amount received in the current year. This could lead to an additional payment or a reclaim depending on the accuracy of the initial childcare allowance assessment.

Please note that the childcare allowance system can become overwhelmingly complex when multiple aspects (such as changes in income, employment, childcare hours and number of children) change during the year. The childcare allowance provided up front will need to be reassessed after the year runs its course. The Dutch Tax Office offers an excellent help-line, but available in Dutch only.

Allowance Calculator

The amount of childcare allowance a parent is entitled to varies by income, number of children, type of childcare and childcare rate. Calculators are available online to help you determine how much allowance you may receive. The Belastingdienst toeslagen calculator is provided by the government. Blue Umbrella offers an English calculator as well.

Good to know about the Dutch Childcare Allowance

The Dutch Childcare Allowance is revised each year on the 1st of January. Both the rules and the reimbursement amount can be revised. As the revisions are usually substantial, make sure you get yourself informed properly about the changes.

Note that the Dutch Tax Office communicates the changes in Dutch only.

photo credit: Photos from SkiStar via photopin cc

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Modern-day life presents unique challenges for many families, especially those who have young children, newbie parents and parents-to-be. For expat families, life in the Netherlands may come with the reality of not having a strong extended support network of close friends and family (i.e. built-in-babysitter network) to help carry the load of parenthood.

Parents who are considering an extra pair of helping hands may want to consider the Netherlands’ Au Pair exchange program. The Netherlands’ Au Pair exchange program is based on the premise that a young foreigner, usually between the ages of 18-30 years old, stays with a host family and performs light domestic duties in exchange for room and board.

My husband and I recently took a giant leap of faith and hired an au pair. Almost two months into the experience, we can’t believe we didn’t hire one sooner. As an aspiring writer/stay-at-home mom with an entrepreneur husband who works long hours and a darling, precocious and spirited 21-month son and living in the Netherlands without any family support, welcoming an au pair into our home was the best decision for our family.

Here are my five simple steps to hiring an Au Pair in the Netherlands as can only be given from personal experience and insight:

Step 1: Learn about the Netherlands’ Au Pair exchange program

It is essential to understand that the au pair program is a cultural exchange in which a young foreigner comes to live with you and your family to learn about Dutch culture and share his or her culture with yours for an extended period of time (usually a year). The au pair is invited to become a member of your family.

An au pair can help with babysitting duties and light household chores for a maximum of 8 hours per day and a maximum of 30 hours per week. They are also entitled to two days off per week and two weeks of vacation for a year stay. Please be mindful that an au pair is not a substitute for a full time nanny or a domestic servant.

Step 2: Evaluate Whether or Not an Au Pair Is the Right Fit for Your Family’s Needs

Inviting someone into your home definitely changes and influences the dynamics of your family life. Inviting a young adult into your family life will alter the dynamics of the household, adding another youthful element to the house. Try drafting a schedule for the au pair and see if your family really needs the additional 30 hours of help or if you possibly need more. An au pair is not an ideal solution for families with parents who are both working a traditional 40-hour work week and who have young children who are not in school.

You also need an extra spare bedroom (a rare commodity in the Netherlands) for the au pair to stay in as well as the financial means to support an extra adult in your household. The income requirement for host families is 1.5 times the legal minimum wage in the Netherlands. Please refer to the IND’s Costs and Income Requirements for further up-to date details.

In exchange for room and board, an au pair is entitled to €300-340 per month of pocket money. Other expenses to take into consideration are the au pair agency fees, Entry and Residence Procedure (TEV procedure) costs (approximately €608) if the au pair is not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, up to €275 of Dutch language courses, a monthly €10 telephone allowance, and an NS train discount card. While not a requirement but definitely a kind gesture, the host family may pay for the au pair’s travel expenses to and from the Netherlands. You will also be asked to submit a schedule for the au pair as well as have a home visit by a recognized au pair agency to evaluate whether or not your home meets certain criteria.

Interestingly, the costs of having an au pair may actually be much lower than a regular créche, or a babysitter in exchange for 30 hours of care.

Step 3: Start “Dating” Different Au Pair Agencies and Hire One

While you can easily find an au pair through various websites such as Au Pair World (not an IND recognized agency) or word-of-mouth, all au pair applications must formally go through a recognized au pair agency. Only a recognized au pair agency can submit an application on behalf of an au pair and the host family. The au pair agency is your recognized sponsor. There are currently only 14 au pair agencies formally recognized by the IND. To get the complete list, please refer to the IND’s Public Register of Recognized Sponsors.

Choosing an au pair agency is a very personal decision and one that should be taken with utmost care and concern. An au pair agency is not only responsible for submitting your application to the IND and ensuring that you and the au pair fulfill all the requirements, but also plays the pivotal role of match-maker. An experienced au pair agent will carefully evaluate your family’s dynamics and will be able to find an au pair that is the “best fit.” The au pair agency will also serve as a mediator between you and the au pair in case of any problems or conflicts.

Step 4: Start “Dating” Different Au Pair Candidates

Once you have found an au pair agency that meets your needs, the agency will introduce you to several au pair candidates. An added sense of comfort with working with a recognized au pair agency is that the agency has already pre-screened any potential candidate. Choosing an au pair also requires lots of great care and attention. I advise you to lean on your own parenting intuition when it comes to selecting an au pair. It may also be useful to consult with other host families who can provide feedback with their own experiences.

Some questions to consider are:

What activities do they plan on doing with the children?

Do they have any experience being an au pair?

Do they have any experience with children of (insert your child’s age)?

What are their personal motivations for becoming an au pair?

What are their expectations of what an au pair entails?

Step 5: Submit Formal Application via Recognized Au Pair Agency

The au pair agency will help you with the process of submitting your au pair application to the IND. An application to get approval takes approximately a maximum of three months to complete.

I hope you enjoy your journey in finding an au pair and that your experience is a positive, memorable one. Not only did having someone from another culture enrich our family’s daily experience, but it is amazing to have a relatively flexible babysitter (within reason) to allow me some much-needed “me time” and go out on dates with my husband. Let’s also not forget to mention the value of having an extra pair of hands around to help in cases of sickness, a difficult night of teething or sleep regression and other hiccups so prevalent in the days of early childhood and parenthood. It’s also the most cost-effective option for us when it comes to having regular help for 30 hours a week.

Disclaimer: The Netherlands is continuing to make regular modifications to the Au Pair exchange program. For the latest update and relevant information, please refer to the official website of the IND.

Photo credit: Rina Mae Acosta

The post How to Hire an Au Pair in the Netherlands appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

All childcare facilities in the Netherlands are part of the National ChildcareRegister (Landelijk Register Kinderopvang).

To make it easier for parents to reference and check their childcare facilities, the register is available online.

On the website you will find the details of all registered childcare facilities and playgroups in the Netherlands. This includes daycare, after school care, childminders (gastouders), child minder agencies, preschools (voorschool) and official playschools (peuterspeelzaal).

Childcare facilities are registered following an inspection by the Health Service and then they need municipality’s (gemeente) agreement. Municipalities are responsible for monitoring and maintaining the quality of registered childcare facilities and playgroups. The supervision of childcare is assigned to the GGD who act as the representative organisation of municipal health.

Every childcare facility in the National Register of Childcare, whether they are a daycare, an after school care facility, childminding agency or a childminder, has a unique registration number (registratienummer). Parents must use this registration number when applying for a childcare allowance. Parents can only qualify for childcare allowance if they use a childcare facility which is present in the National Register of Child Playgroups.

Note: The preschools and playgroups in the National Register of Child Playgroups and have no registration number. Preschools and playgroups are not eligible for the childcare allowance.

How to Use the Website

The website is only available in Dutch. However, using Google Chrome’s automatic translation facility makes it very readable in English.

You can search the database either by filling out the registration number of the childcare facility you want to reference (zoek op registratienummer) or by searching key information (zoek op kenmerken).

The categories for keyword search are (in order of the form):

• Type of childcare (drop down box)
  • All
    • Childminders
    • Childminder agencies
    • — Daycare
    • — After school care
    • — Playschools
  • Name of childcare facility
  • Street
  • Postcode
  • City
• District (drop down box)

You can fill out any or all of these criteria.

Reading the Report Page

Once you have located the childcare facility you want to reference you will see a page full of details. In order, these are:

• Name of facility
• Type of childcare offered
• How many places in total they have
• Whether they offer pre-school education
• The registration status
• The date they were originally registered
• The location details
• The owner’s details

In a box to the left of the screen you should also find links to all the inspection reports that have been carried out at the facility by the GGD. You can click each link to download the report in pdf format (in Dutch).

Note: each location of a childcare facility has a different registration number even if it is run by the same owner, so do check the address when reading the report to make sure you are reading the right one.

The post Using the Dutch National Childcare Register appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

When we got to his first birthday my son and I looked at each other and with much soul-searching realised it was time. I needed to start stretching my Mummy-Brain again and he was craving the interaction with other children that he wasn’t getting enough of, staying at home with me. So with some trepidation we started to navigate the daycare system in Amsterdam.

Two years ago, the mere mention of wanting to find a daycare place for your child in a short time frame brought howls of bitter laughter from other parents. “You’ll be lucky,” they’d say, “I’ve had my child on the list since before they were conceived and we still didn’t have a place by the time they needed to go to daycare.”

This was a fairly common story.  Due to a baby boom in Amsterdam in recent years daycares, the good and the bad were heavily oversubscribed and parents were often left scrabbling for places.

The situation started to change around the time my son was born. Which meant that by the time we were ready for daycare whilst it wasn’t easy to find a lot of places, you certainly could find places.

But where to look for those places? I knew I didn’t want him too far from home. He was only just a year old after all and I was a very nervous first-time mama. Also, the weather here is less than sunny and I didn’t want to be biking him to the other side of town for daycare in the rain.

Then the bigger questions came. Our family is mother tongue English, this is the language we use at home and the only one my son had been exposed to. Should we send him to an English speaking daycare because it would be familiar to him or should we get brave and immerse him in the language of the country we live in?

In the end, it was a mixture or science and laziness which prompted our decision to choose the daycare we did. I knew that I didn’t want him too far from me during the day so daycare had to be near where I worked. Although that location included some bilingual daycare options we found we weren’t bowled over by them.

My husband and I both come from English mother tongue families but have a genuine love of languages. We each speak three languages to varying levels of fluency and are keen for our son to do the same. We believe that languages open doors in a way that no other skill can. It made complete sense to us that he should be exposed to the language of the country we now call home as early as possible.

So we started to look at the local Dutch daycares. As with anything, what suits one family may not be right for the next. However, when we walked into our daycare we just knew it was the right place for our son. It was warm, welcoming and our son felt immediately comfortable there as he toddled off to play while we sat with the owner.

Over the last year we have watched, delighted, as our son has grown in confidence and has also started slowly to pick up more and more words in Dutch. While he is still more confident, at two-and-a-half, in English, his conversation is now a delightful smattering of Dutch and English (Dunglish!?):

“That is zo mooi, Mama!” (that is so pretty, Mama!)

“Be careful, niet doen!” (Be careful, don’t do that!)

“Eat broodje kaas?” (May I have a cheese sandwich?)

He flips effortlessly between the two depending on the words and the context, often in the same sentence. This is linguistically known as “code switching” and is something commonly found in bilingual children. Which gives us hope that his brain is doing what in needs to in order to learn that there is more than one language. This in turn should make it easier for him to pick up additional languages in the future.

A pleasing and unexpected side effect of my son attending a Dutch daycare is that my Dutch language skills are growing alongside his. Most of his carers, including the owner of the daycare speak very little English. This has meant that I have had to get up to speed very quickly with the language of daycare in order to understand how my son is progressing. So far we have had no reason to regret the decision to put him into a Dutch daycare and every reason to say that it has benefited us as a family and as part of our local community.

To other parents considering a similar choice I would offer the following tips:

• Make sure that both you and your child feel comfortable with the environment and the staff. Explore any hesitations or “niggling” doubts before you sign the paperwork. If the daycare is not right for you then find another one before you commit. Don’t feel rushed into a decision.
• Accept that whilst the right daycare will do their very best, they are not going to provide care for your child in exactly the same way you would at home. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that “what happens at daycare, stays at daycare”. As long as my son is happy and smiling I know we are all doing OK.
• It is inevitable that you will come across cultural differences or things that work differently from what you may have been used to with daycare in your home country. It is part of the learning experience for the whole family. Embrace the differences, you may even like some of them!

  photo credit: riaskiff via photo pin cc

The post Why we chose a Dutch daycare appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

Many parents prefer a Gastouder to a Daycare, and this article was written so that you can make an informed decision about what works best for your own family.

What is a Gastouder?

A Gastouder is a licensed child minder or host parent that can take care of up to 6 children (age ranges from 6 weeks to 12 years) in his or her own home, in a care centre, or even at the parent’s house in some cases.

How can I find one?

All Gastouders must be registered at the National Childcare Register, and can generally be found through a Gastouders agency. These agencies have the task of ensuring that the Gastouder’s work place is in good condition, primarily in terms of safety and hygiene. They also provide basic supplies like playpens and cribs, take care of the payments, and generally mediate between the parent’s and the childminder. Other places that list Gastouder adds are the local newspapers (under “oppas”), the notice board of the Consultatiebureau, and the online yellow pages (look for “gastouderbureau”).

What kind of schedules do Gastouders practice?

The schedules are somewhat flexible, according to the parent’s needs. A fixed number of hours a week is agreed upon, and some host parents are also available for evenings and weekends.

What are the rates?

The rates are variable, but slightly cheaper than daycare. Check with your local Gastouder’s agency!

Can we get childcare allowance for using a Gastouder’s services?

Yes, Gastouder services qualify for the childcare allowance, as long as your Gastouder is licensed. Keep in mind that grandparents who babysit on a regular basis can also be considered recognized child minders and are eligible for this allowance as well. This sums up the basics of the Gastouder option. People who chose this form of childcare list as the big advantages the flexibility of the schedule and location, and the one-to-one attention that the child minder is able to give to the few children that are under his or her care.

photo credit: kona99 via photopin cc

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