63% of parents on a waiting list already have a childcare place for their child. This is evident from recent research by Ipsos/I&O, commissioned by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. The findings add nuance to the perception that there is a shortage in childcare.
Three groups of parents on a waiting list
The research shows that parents can roughly be divided into three groups.
The largest group consists of parents whose child already attends childcare, but who are waiting for something else, such as a different location, an extra day, or a place that better suits their family situation. In this case, the child is already being cared for, but the parents remain on the waiting list by choice.
The second group comprises parents who register preventively, while childcare is not yet needed because the child has not yet been born or is too young for daycare.
The third group is the smallest, but the most urgent. These are parents who need childcare immediately, but are unable to find it. As a result, they are often forced to work less, work from home involuntarily, or seek help from others such as grandparents. This is the group that misses out the most — on personal and career opportunities, income, and free time.
The missing distinction
All of these situations ultimately fall under the same name: the waiting list. The actual shortfall is therefore difficult to map out. The difference between parents who already have childcare and parents who need it immediately but cannot find it is not reflected in the figures.
The question is whether the waiting list should be changed to better map this out. Possible options could include differentiating between these situations, introducing an urgent and preferred waiting list, or creating a 'reservation' category for children who do not yet need childcare.
View here the research by Ipsos I&O.