At a time when the childcare sector is grappling with severe staff shortages and high turnover, Fleur and her mother Astrid are deliberately choosing a career in the field. Together, they will soon be running a daycare center (kinderdagverblijf/KDV). The story of the mother-daughter duo is featured on Kinderopvangtotaal.
Family Business in Childcare
The collaboration between mother and daughter is remarkable in several respects. While many childcare workers are leaving the sector due to work pressure and relatively low salaries, Fleur and Astrid are taking a step in. Their joint entrepreneurship combines a family bond with the ambition to run their own childcare location.
Setting up a daycare center (kinderdagverblijf/KDV) in the Netherlands requires going through a strict procedure. Entrepreneurs must meet the requirements of the Childcare Act, including drawing up a pedagogical policy plan, demonstrating sufficient qualified staff, and obtaining a municipal permit. The Municipal Health Service (GGD) then conducts regular inspections on quality and safety.
Rising Interest in Small-Scale Care
The story of Fleur and Astrid aligns with a broader trend: the growing demand for small-scale, personal childcare. Parents are increasingly showing preference for locations with a familiar face, where continuity in the pedagogical team is guaranteed. A family business can have a natural advantage in this regard.
At the same time, running a daycare center (kinderdagverblijf/KDV) as a family business brings specific challenges. The boundary between private and work life can blur, and business decisions can put personal relationships under pressure. The success of such arrangements depends heavily on clear agreements and complementary skills.
What Does This Mean for Parents?
For parents looking for childcare, a new, small-scale daycare center (kinderdagverblijf/KDV) offers potential benefits:
- Short lines of communication: At a smaller organization, parents are often in direct contact with the owners, enabling faster communication and customized service.
- Continuity: Family businesses generally experience less staff turnover, providing stability for children.
- Entrepreneurial mindset: Owners who invest their own resources in their business often have a stronger intrinsic motivation to deliver quality.
However, we advise parents to critically examine GGD inspection reports, waiting list situations, and the concrete implementation of the pedagogical policy at any new childcare location. The permit status can always be checked through the National Childcare Register (LRK).
The arrival of Fleur and Astrid's daycare center shows that despite sector-wide challenges, there are still entrepreneurs who see childcare as their calling. Whether their family arrangement becomes a lasting success depends on how they find the balance between entrepreneurship, pedagogical quality, and their own mother-daughter relationship.