What is the childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag)?
The childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag) is a government contribution to help parents with childcare costs. This benefit is available for children aged 0 to 12. Childcare locations and host parents must be officially registered in the National Childcare Register (Landelijk Register Kinderopvang/LRK), and parents must meet a number of conditions.
Who qualifies for the childcare benefit?
Requirements include that the parents substantially support the child, hold Dutch nationality or have a valid residence permit, have a contract with the daycare center (kinderdagverblijf/KDV) or host parent agency (gastouderbureau), and are working, studying, or following an official pathway to find work or integrate into Dutch society. The benefit is also available during long-term illness or pregnancy. How many hours you work is not relevant for your eligibility for childcare benefit, but does affect the amount you receive. At least one parent must also live at the same address as the child.
Childcare benefit conditions for 2026
Here are all the conditions from the Dutch Tax Authority (Belastingdienst) as a quick checklist:
- You receive child benefit or a foster care contribution for the child, or you substantially support your child;
- The childcare center or host parent agency is registered in the National Childcare Register (LRK);
- You have a contract (also called a written agreement) with the childcare provider or host parent agency, stating the hourly rate and number of childcare hours per year;
- You and your benefit partner hold Dutch nationality or have a valid residence permit;
- You are working, studying, following a pathway to find work, or an integration course at a certified institution. Benefit is also available if you are long-term sick or not working for an extended period due to pregnancy. Both parents must meet this condition.
A pathway to find work is an official pathway, for example through UWV or your municipality, where you receive a benefit such as unemployment benefit (WW), social assistance, or disability benefit. Job searching alone does not fall under this category.
Childcare benefit with co-parenting
With co-parenting, you can receive childcare benefit for the childcare hours you pay for yourself, even if your child's official residential address is elsewhere. If you and your ex-partner both pay a portion, you will each receive a portion of the benefit, based on the number of childcare hours per parent.
How does the childcare benefit payment work?
The payment works as follows: under the current system, you pay the childcare organization or host parent agency's bill yourself, and receive the benefit for that same month from the Dutch Tax Authority. This payment takes place around the 20th of the preceding month (so on 20 July you receive the benefit for August).
The amount you receive depends on your income, the number of children, and the type of care. Important to know: the childcare benefit is an advance payment. The final calculation follows later. If you received too much, you must repay the difference; if you received too little, that amount will still be paid out. How that calculation works, you can read here.
You apply for the benefit yourself via Mijn Toeslagen. How to do that, you can read here. You can also have the benefit paid directly to your childcare provider by the government. Log in to Mijn Toeslagen and select 'Pay benefit to childcare provider' in your childcare details.
Changes to childcare benefit from 2029
This will change from 1 January 2029, when a new system will be introduced with a fixed reimbursement percentage. Here you can read more about that.
Getting started
First check whether your childcare is registered in the LRK and request the LRK number. Then calculate via toeslagen.nl how much benefit you expect to receive, so you know what your net monthly costs will be. On kiddie.nl you can find an overview of registered childcare near you, including their hourly rates and quality information. This way you compare not only on price, but also on what really matters for your child.
