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Working parents get a large part of their childcare costs back through childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag). The benefit is calculated on a maximum hourly rate: in 2026 that is €11.23 for daycare, €9.98 for after-school care (BSO) and €8.49 for a childminder. In 2027 this becomes €11.60, €10.31 and €8.77. How much you pay yourself depends on your income, the number of hours and the hourly rate of your provider.
Updated on 10 November 2026
You are entitled to childcare benefit if:
you and your partner work, study or follow a programme;your provider is listed in the National Childcare Register (LRK);you apply for childcare benefit with Dienst Toeslagen (in Dutch), no later than 3 months after childcare has started.The percentage you get back depends on your combined income: the lower your income, the higher the percentage. The maximum is 96%: in 2026 up to a combined income of about €56,000, in 2027 up to about €72,000.
Also read: What changes when your child turns 4? · Childcare benefit if you live or work abroad
Yes, if your income is somewhat higher: above about €56,000 in 2026 and above about €72,000 in 2027. You then get a higher percentage for your second and next child than for your first child. At lower incomes the percentage is the same for all children.
Read moreAn example for daycare: 2 days a week (87 hours per month) at €12.00 per hour.
| Income approx. €45,000 | Income approx. €100,000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of daycare | €1,044 | €1,044 |
| Childcare benefit (96% / 72.1%) | €938 | €704 |
| You pay | €106 | €340 |
Indicative, first child, 2026 rates (benefit on a maximum of €11.23 per hour). In 2027 you pay about €75 per month on an income of approx. €45,000 (96% of a maximum of €11.60). The 2027 percentages for higher incomes follow in the Besluit kinderopvangtoeslag 2027.
Average hourly rates from Kiddie price research:
Daycare (0 to 4 years): €11.73 per hour. Two days a week (87 hours) at €12.00 per hour costs €1,044 per month before benefit.After-school care (BSO), before and after school (4 to 12 years): €11.20 per hour.Childminder: €6.75 per hour.If your provider charges more than the maximum hourly rate, you pay the difference yourself. What you pay per month also depends on how many hours of childcare you use, your contract (for example 40 or 52 weeks) and what is included in the price, such as meals and nappies. Prices also differ per municipality: see the most and least expensive municipalities.
In 2027 the maximum hourly rates go up to €11.60 for daycare, €10.31 for after-school care and €8.77 for a childminder. The reimbursement percentages go up as well: you get the maximum of 96% up to a combined income of about €72,000, compared with about €56,000 in 2026. From 2029 childcare benefit disappears and is replaced by a new system for childcare benefit: a reimbursement that does not depend on income. All working parents then receive 95.6% of the maximum hourly rate (Rijksoverheid, in Dutch). You pay 4.4% yourself, plus the difference if your provider charges more than the maximum hourly rate.
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