About this childminding agency
Gastouderbureau Rivierenkind is a reliable and well-established childminder agency (gastouderbureau) that has been active in central Netherlands since 1991. The agency connects parents seeking personal, trusted and flexible childcare for their child(ren) with childminders (gastouders) who care for children with love and attention. With over 34 years of experience, Rivierenkind has successfully placed hundreds of children with host families to their full satisfaction. The agency works with respect and love for children, parents and childminders, and offers maximum guidance in finding a suitable childminder. Parents pay no registration fees and can count on personal attention, a familiar face and flexible childcare hours.
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For parents
Rivierenkind has been mediating for many years to help you find a trusted professional childminder (gastouder) for your child. A major advantage of childminder care (gastouderopvang) is that there are no waiting lists. Matching a childminder to your family is a tailor-made process: we look not only at location, available days and times, but also at values, norms, and your vision on raising your child(ren). Our childminders offer your child a second home in a safe environment. The agency handles mediation, guidance, risk assessments, evaluations, and an online hour registration system for transparent cost insight.
Subsidy & costs
Parents using childminder care (gastouderopvang) through Rivierenkind can apply for childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag) from the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst). The maximum number of hours per month per child for which you can receive childcare benefit is 230 care hours (effective from 2023). This maximum applies to everyone entitled to childcare benefit, regardless of the number of hours worked. Rivierenkind prepares a quotation with which you can apply for the benefit. The agency advises doing this as soon as possible, as it may take several weeks at the beginning before the Tax and Customs Administration pays out the benefit. In 2025, the maximum hourly rate for childcare benefit is €8.10 (in 2026 this will become €8.49).
The costs for childminder care (gastouderopvang) at Rivierenkind consist of two components: care allowance for the childminder (gastouder) and guidance costs for the childminder agency (gastouderbureau). The care allowance is what you pay to the childminder — you are free to discuss an hourly rate together with your childminder. The agency's guidance costs are €1.10 per child per hour with a maximum of €70.00 per month for the first child, €40.00 per month for the second child, and €40.00 per month for the third child. The fourth child and all subsequent children are free of agency costs. Childminder care is flexible and requires a tailor-made approach; the agency can make a personal calculation based on your situation (number of children, care hours, desired flexibility).
Trust & screening
Rivierenkind applies strict screening requirements for childminders (gastouders). Childminders must at minimum hold an MBO level 2 diploma in Care and Welfare Assistance and a Children's First Aid certificate. The childminder and household members over 18 must have a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG). Childminders must be familiar with Rivierenkind's pedagogical policy plan and the Child Abuse Protocol. The agency checks the validity of documents (Children's First Aid, VOG, diploma, identification) and conducts intake interviews to assess suitability.
Rivierenkind operates in accordance with legal requirements for childminder agencies (gastouderbureaus) and falls under supervision of the GGD Utrecht region. The agency has a pedagogical policy plan that is regularly reviewed and that childminders (gastouders) must be familiar with. There is a complaints procedure and child abuse protocol. The care locations are visited annually for a Risk Inventory Safety and Health, and randomly by the GGD. In addition, progress interviews are held with the childminder and the care is evaluated. The agency has a parent committee that represents parents and contributes ideas on policy.
Next steps
The matching process at Rivierenkind follows several steps:
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Intake interview: We always start with an intake interview in which we discuss all your wishes, after which we begin searching for a suitable childminder (gastouder).
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Searching for a childminder: Based on your wishes, we search for a suitable childminder who matches your family situation and parenting vision.
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Introduction: Once we have found a childminder for you, you can meet them. Our childminders appreciate it when you come for a visit, preferably when children are present to get a good impression of the atmosphere.
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Quotation and benefit: If the introduction is successful, Rivierenkind prepares a quotation. With this information, you can apply for childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag) from the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst).
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Evaluation interview: Once care is underway, an evaluation interview takes place after one month between you, the childminder, and a placement coordinator.
Highlights
Support services
- Risk assessment
- Annual visit
- Evaluation interviews
- Document check
- Childminder training
- Parent committee
- Newsletter
- Pedagogical support
Service area regions
Mission & vision
Rivierenkind aims to contribute to creating childcare where children feel just as safe as they do at home. Parents can focus on their work with peace of mind, confident that their child is in good hands. This will benefit the child's development and growth. In addition to experiences within the family, the child gains a complementary positive and challenging experience outside the home. Through its small-scale approach as a childminder agency (gastouderbureau), Rivierenkind strives to foster close involvement between parents, childminders (gastouders), and placement coordinators.
Pedagogical vision
Rivierenkind uses four pedagogical educational goals as its foundation: ensuring emotional security, developing social and personal competencies, socialisation, and internalising values and norms. The agency wants to offer every child a safe and trusted childcare environment, so that childcare can contribute to healthy and positive development. Childminders (gastouders) work from core values: secure attachment, attention to each child's individuality, and talent development. Through the small-scale, home-like setting, childminders can build a secure attachment relationship with the child, so that children feel safe and can explore the world.
Linked childminders
GGD Inspection
Violations
Inspection date: October 23, 2025
Strengths
- Pedagogical policy is comprehensive and well implemented
- Childminders are visited at least twice a year and receive support through themed boxes and online training
- Staff and childminders are properly registered in PRK with valid Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG)
- Parents are well informed through website, parent portal and are aware of complaint procedures
- Administration is complete and well-organised
- Childminders are well prepared for Municipal Health Service (GGD) inspection visits
Shortcomings
- Assurance of risk assessment needed structural improvement to prevent recurrence of discrepancies between policy and practice
- Reporting code needed to be tailored to the specific situation of the childminder agency with clear allocation of responsibilities
Violations
- Safety and health risk assessment: childminders did not always act in accordance with the established risk assessment. At one childminder there was recidivism: a bedroom without a window was twice not adequately included in the risk assessment. There was no fixed cycle or control system to identify discrepancies in a timely manner.
- Domestic violence and child abuse reporting code: lacked tailoring to the provider itself, including assignment of responsibilities to staff members and mention of the person with ultimate responsibility for reporting decisions.
Summary
Childminder agency Rivierenkind in Leerdam was inspected on 23 October 2025 by the Municipal Health Service (GGD) Utrecht region. The agency mediates 46 childminders mainly in Utrecht, Gelderland and Zuid-Holland. The inspection concerned an annual investigation in which pedagogical policy, staff, safety and health, parental rights and quality were assessed. The agency complies with the law after resolution of two violations. No enforcement has been advised.
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