BOinK, the parents' association for childcare, is organising a webinar on the role of the parent committee in the price consultation process. This process is a legally required procedure in which childcare organisations set and explain their fees for the coming period to parents.
What is the price consultation process?
The price consultation process is a mandatory component of the Childcare Act (Wet kinderopvang). Childcare organisations must set their fees for the coming calendar year by 1 October each year. These fees consist of the hourly rate that parents pay and the hourly rate that the municipality pays through the childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag). The total hourly rate may not exceed the statutory maximum hourly rates set annually by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.
The parent committee plays an important advisory role in this. It has the right to provide solicited and unsolicited advice on all policy matters relating to childcare, including fee setting. BOinK's webinar focuses on how this involvement can be shaped in practice.
Role of the parent committee
The parent committee is a legally required body in every childcare organisation with at least ten childcare places. The committee consists of parents or representatives of parents whose children use the childcare. The committee has the right, among other things, to:
- Provide advice on childcare policy, including fee setting
- Request access to the budget and annual accounts
- Be informed about important changes in the organisation
- Contact the Municipal Health Service (GGD) and municipality independently
In the price consultation process, the parent committee can thus be actively involved to ensure transparency and represent parents' interests. This is particularly relevant because fees directly affect the level of net costs for parents, after deduction of the childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag).
What does this mean for parents?
For parents, the involvement of the parent committee in the price consultation process is of practical importance. Active involvement can lead to greater insight into how fees are determined and what considerations are made. Parents who want to know how this is arranged in their own childcare organisation can:
- Contact their own parent committee
- Enquire about when the price consultation process starts
- Request access to the budget and fee calculation
- Put themselves forward as a candidate for the parent committee, if they wish
The BOinK webinar provides tools for both parent committee members and interested parents to fulfil this role effectively. More information about the webinar can be found on the BOinK website.