The Social Childcare Sector Association has published the latest report of the National Childcare Quality Monitor (LKK). For the seventh time, researchers from Utrecht University and Sardes have mapped the quality of Dutch childcare. This year also saw the first separate report on childminder/host parent care (gastouderopvang).
Internationally, the Netherlands performs well
The monitor shows that children generally feel comfortable in childcare. Both emotional and educational quality score average to good, and by international standards even high. Good news, then, although there are also areas that deserve attention.
Where further improvement is needed
The researchers identify a declining trend in quality for toddlers in daycare centers (kinderdagverblijf/KDV) and preschool/toddler care (peuteropvang). Contact with parents is also decreasing, both in preschool/toddler care and childminder/host parent care (gastouderopvang), even though parents play an important role as educational partners. In addition, guiding interactions between children remains an area of concern: children learn to play together, cooperate, and resolve conflicts at childcare, and this requires active guidance.
Furthermore, childcare professionals in preschool/toddler care indicate that they are increasingly caring for children with additional care or support needs. This underscores the importance of inclusive childcare where all children, regardless of background or care needs, can grow up together.
What can you do as a parent?
The LKK provides a sector-wide analysis, but there are concrete things you can look out for when choosing childcare. Ask during a tour how the organization measures and improves its own quality, and look at personnel policy. Education level and staff supervision directly affect the care your child receives. In addition, the Municipal Health Service (GGD) publishes inspection reports for individual locations, which are publicly available and give a concrete picture of the situation at a specific place.
The full report can be found on the website of the Social Childcare Sector Association.