Before-school care (VSO)
From around 7:00 until school starts. The BSO takes your child to school.
After-school care (BSO): all locations in the Netherlands
After-school care (buitenschoolse opvang, BSO) is childcare for children aged 4 to 12 before and after school hours and during school holidays. Search for after-school care in your area and compare with help from Kiddie.
What types of after-school care are there?
After-school care (NSO)
After school until around 18:30. The BSO picks your child up, on foot, by bike or by minibus.
Holiday care
Full days during school holidays and study days.
Themed after-school care
Sports, nature, arts or technology BSOs with a set programme.
What does after-school care cost in 2026 and 2027?
In 2026, after-school care costs an average of €11.20 per hour.
Prices vary widely between municipalities: from an average of €9.05 in Edam to €14.56 in Goes.
If you work, you are entitled to childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag). It is calculated on a maximum hourly rate: €9.98 in 2026 and €10.31 in 2027. If your after-school care charges more, you pay the difference yourself. The percentage you get back depends on your income. Calculate your own situation with the Kiddie calculator.
The Dutch government wants all working parents to receive 95.6% from 2029 (Rijksoverheid, in Dutch).
Example calculation
2 days a weekhourly rate €10.50
| Income €45,000 | Income €100,000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of after-school care | €504 | €504 |
| Childcare benefit (96% / 72.1%) | €460 | €345 |
| You pay | €44 | €159 |
Indicative, use the Kiddie Calculator to calculate your own situation.
After-school care, daycare or childminder?
| After-school care (BSO) | Daycare | Childminder | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age | 4-12 years | 0-4 years | 0-12 years |
| Where | Group at a location, often at or near school | Group at a location | At the childminder's home or yours |
| Max. hourly rate for benefit 2026 / 2027 | €9.98 / €10.31 | €11.23 / €11.60 | €8.49 / €8.77 |
| More information | This page | Daycare | Childminder |
How to choose good after-school care
- 1
Close to home or school
Start with the after-school care locations in your area. Search by postcode and see which ones are easy to reach.
- 2
Opening hours and holidays
Do before-school, after-school and holiday care fit your working hours? Also ask whether the BSO is open on study days.
- 3
Programme and space
Outdoor space, sports, outings and whether your child can choose. Also look at themed after-school care. Ask whether the BSO picks up from your child's school.
- 4
Price and childcare benefit
Childcare benefit is based on a maximum hourly rate: €9.98 in 2026 and €10.31 in 2027. Check what is included, such as meals and outings. A 52-week contract includes holiday care; a 40-week contract does not. You only get childcare benefit at a location with an LRK number, which is shown on Kiddie.
- 5
Reviews and inspection report
Read experiences from other parents and check the summary of the latest GGD inspection report.
- 6
Tour
Go and have a look, and bring your child. Watch how the children play and ask how the BSO picks your child up, how big the groups are and what a normal afternoon looks like.
Want to know more? Read how to assess the quality of childcare: 7 tips.
After-school care in your city
Choose your city and compare after-school care
After-school care with the best reviews
5.0(57 reviews)
Het Kleine Prinsje B.V.
Harlingen
“Zo goed hoe je het doet. Altijd vol passie met je werk bezig. Dat is ook te merken aan de kwaliteit. Ga zo door met z,'n allen!”
5.0(42 reviews)
Sport-BSO Flekss - De Nowies
Etten-Leur
“Na een minder fijne ervaring bij een opvang, is dit een warm bad. Lieve juffen en veel persoonlijke aandacht.”
5.0(31 reviews)
Sport BSO Time4SKills
Wijchen
“Zowel op de locatie Alverna als Wijchen hele goede ervaringen tot nu toe. Stuk voor stuk werken er super vriendelijke en spontane mensen. Je merkt dat ze het…”
5.0(31 reviews)
Sport BSO Time4Skills - De Voetbal BSO
Druten
“Zowel op de locatie Alverna als Wijchen hele goede ervaringen tot nu toe. Stuk voor stuk werken er super vriendelijke en spontane mensen. Je merkt dat ze het…”
5.0(30 reviews)
Sport BSO Vleuterweide
Utrecht
“Hele goede BSO waar kinderen met plezier heen gaan. Dat de kinderen vooral buiten en bewegend bezig zijn, maakt deze BSO uniek. Eigenaren hebben hart voor de…”
5.0(28 reviews)
Sport-BSO Flekss - Mathenesse 2
Breda
“Super team and very nice activities every day for the kids.”
Frequently asked questions about after-school care
BSO stands for buitenschoolse opvang, Dutch for after-school care: childcare for children aged 4 to 12 before and after school, on study days and during holidays.
At 48 hours per month and €10.50 per hour, after-school care costs €504 per month. After childcare benefit, in 2026 you pay about €44 to €159 yourself, depending on your income. In 2027 you pay about €29 on an income of approx. €45,000.
Yes, if you work (or study or follow a programme) and the BSO is listed in the National Childcare Register. The benefit is calculated on a maximum of €9.98 per hour in 2026 and €10.31 in 2027.
Register your child 6 to 12 months before they turn 4. In busy neighbourhoods, popular BSOs have waiting lists.
With 40 weeks, you only pay for school weeks. With 52 weeks, holiday care is included and the hourly rate is often lower.
Most BSOs pick up from set schools in the area. Ask the BSO whether your school is one of them.
Look at the GGD inspection report, reviews from parents and the programme. Kiddie shows the outcome of the latest GGD report for every BSO.
Until the end of primary school, usually age 12. Some BSOs have separate groups or a “teen club” for children aged 10 and up.
Start with the locations near you and check whether the opening hours and holiday care fit your work. Then compare programme, hourly rate and reviews, and book a tour with your child.
Compare after-school care near you
Search by postcode or city and check the inspection report, reviews and hourly rate for every BSO.
Read more about after-school care
- Child turns 4: what changes in childcare and benefits?
- After-School Care 2026: The Most and Least Expensive Municipalities
- An afternoon at after-school care: what a typical day looks like
- Themed After-School Care in the Netherlands
- How Do You Find Childcare During the Summer Holidays?
- The New Childcare Benefit System from 2029
- Childcare benefit & costs