Gastouderopvang

The Dutch childminding boom

and the consequences for childminders themselvesTijne Berg- le Clercq

November 30, 2010

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Outline of presentation

• Introduction• The best way of organising child

care• The Dutch way of organizing child

care• The Dutch child minding boom• The most important consequences• The consequences for childminders

themselves• Some things never change …• Food for thought

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Introduction

• Tijne Berg- le Clercq

• The Netherlands Youth Institute

• Knowledge broker:– Importing knowledge– Exporting knowledge

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The best way of organising childcare for pre-school children (1)Three most frequently mentioned choices in 2008

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The best way of organising childcare for pre-school children(2)Certified childminding in a private home

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The Dutch way of organizing child care (1)

Childcare Act: 3 kinds of formal child care:1. Day care centers (0-4 year olds)2. After-school care (4-12 year olds)3. Registered childminders/ host care (0-

12 year olds)

Formal childcare does not include:• Play groups• Lunch break care

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The Dutch way of organizing child care (2)Child care allowance: formal child care is paid for by:1. Employers (1/3)2. Parents3. The national goverment

if both partners:• work,• attend some form of education,• participate in a naturalisation course, • or participate in a work re-integration scheme.

And if the child care provider is included in the national child care register

2009: € 2.9 billion

paid to parents

=77% of all costs

per applicant

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The Dutch way of organizing child care (3)

Shift 2005-2010• from a supply-driven financing system• to a demand-driven financing system= end of public provision of child care services

Supervision of quality by:– Local governments– & their municipal health service

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The Dutch way of organizing child care (4)Households by main types of child care

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The Dutch child minding boom (1)Number of children receiving formal childcare in 2007, 2008 & 2009

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The Dutch child minding boom (2)

Number of children cared for by childminders in NL• 2006: 70.000

• 2007: 140.000

• 2008: 197.000

• 2009: 217.000

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The Dutch child minding boom (3)

Number of households receiving child care allowance for child minders• 2006: 33.000

• 2007: 80.000

• 2008: 118.000

• 2009: 128.000

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The Dutch child minding boom (4)Reasons for the increase in formal child care:• the supply of after-school care facilities on

primary schools• a higher government contribution for the middle

and higher income brackets• the introduction of the compulsory employers’

contribution

What also happened was:• a substitution of informal by formal child care• a minor increase in female labour market

participation

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The Dutch child minding boom (5)Reasons for the child minding boom:• Higher child care allowances

for childminding

• Shift from informal childminding to formal childminding

• Wish of the mother to work/study more

• Child minding is financially attractive

• Fraud? Abuse of child care allowances?

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The Dutch child minding boom (6)Reasons for the child minding boom:Before 2005

€ 0

After 2005 € 5 € € 5 € 3

Tax office Child minding Child

agencyminder

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The most important consequences (1)• Rising government expenses on child care

• Governmental cuts in child care allowances, in particular for registered childminding

• Increasing demands onchildminding agencies

• Increasing demands on childminders themselves

• Big societal turmoil

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The most important consequences (2)Increasing demands on childminding agencies:

– No automatic inclusion in national child care register

– More demands on child minding agencies since 2008 & 2010, such as:• Childminding agency is responsible for

all payments• Childminding agency staff must have

relevant degree• Childminding agency annually supports

every childminder during 16 hours

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The consequences for childminders themselves (1)Object of supervision from 2005 to 2009:

Child mindin

g agency

Municipal health service

Child minder

Child minder

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The consequences for childminders themselves (2)Object of supervision since 2010:

Municipal health service

Childminding agency

Childminder

No automatic inclusion in national child care register

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The consequences for childminders themselves (3)Increasing demands on childminders themselves as of 2008 & 2010:

– Professional qualifications:• Relevant diploma or certificate• First aid on children

– Speak Dutch

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The consequences for childminders themselves (4)Increasing demands on the‘work location of childminders’ as of 2008 & 2010:– Seperate bedroom for children under

1½

– Smoke free house & smoke detectors

– Presence of child abuse protocol of childminding agency

– Number of children in the house

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Some things never change …. (1)Some demands on childminder agencies:• Draw up a pedagogical policy plan

• Draw up regulations for the parents’committee

• Draw up regulations for the complaints committee

• Certificate of good conduct for all staff

• However:

Some things never change …. (2)Some demands on childminders themselves and their work location:• Certificate of good conduct for

childminders and their adult children

• Requirement to conduct health and safety risk inventories

• Sufficient play space for children23

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Food for thought

Over time, childminding agencies and childminders in The Netherlands have had to meet more (strict) demands but:• How many and what demands should

they meet?• Who should check this and how?• And why?

– To cut government spending?– To protect the children themselves?