Like every country, the Netherlands has its own peculiarities when it comes to child care facilitation. In this article, we would like to give you a short introduction on the latest trends in child care policy and the most common challenges you will encounter.

Recently, there have been some favorable developments. In the past, especially day care in the Netherlands was very expensive. To compensate, the government came up with a tax return structure called ‘toeslagen’ (surcharges). However, this structure turned out to be unmanageable by the Dutch tax office. In future policy plans, day care will be paid for 90-95% directly by the government.

A school lottery?

Another Dutch peculiarity is the so-called school lotteries. Due to the scarcity of schools (and day care) in the larger cities and the preference by many parents for some specific schools, you could encounter a lottery that determines which applications will be accepted. Needless to say, this lottery system can bring a lot of stress to both parents and children. Especially when there is only one suitable school nearby. Being timely informed on options, possible consequences and alternatives prevents disappointment. 

This is why we urge expats that want to move to the Netherlands with their children to contact us to support with the following:

• Advice on school and day-care options (including Dutch, international, or special needs schools, if required)
• Explain and advise about the Amsterdam school lottery (if applicable)
• Check school availability
• Arrange school visits
• Assist with the admission process

Quality au pairs

The Netherlands has many young people working as au pairs, as well as organisations that facilitate the contact between au pairs and parents. Unfortunately, most of these organizations are online platforms that don’t work with intakes, background checks, and checked references. 

Benefit from our network of trustworthy au pairs. We’ll arrange the introduction and we will make sure the references are checked before he or she starts working with you.

LOWAN

Integrating into a new community is scary when you are young. With the newcomers’ classes from LOWAN your child is ensured of a positive start. This initiative for newcomers spans both primary school and high school. Next to excellent teaching, they built on the following principles:

• A buddy who speaks the same language
• Communicating non-verbally as a teacher
• Give students their own table, chair (safe place)
• Photo/flag or name of the student
• Space and time for the student to play (think: kapla, building corner, house corner, coloring page)
• Group-building games with little language
• Parents are welcome in the classroom and at school

LOWAN is just an example of the initiatives that we can introduce you to. Let us help you to make the relocation of your children to the Netherlands be an easy one so that they can feel at home as soon as they arrive.