What you need to know about childcare

‘It’s not about differences, but about what we have in common’

How Partou welcomes expat children and their parents

A country where you don’t know anyone, with a different language and strange customs. It’s no small matter to leave your familiar surroundings for an adventure in the unknown. And how does childcare work in this new place? Childcare company Partou welcomes expat children and their parents with open arms. “We want to give them emotional security above all, that is our objective,” explains Ardi van Wiechen, pedagogical specialist at the childcare organisation.

“All parents know: your child is the most precious thing in your life. Culture or background make no difference,” says Ardi. “It is therefore very important that we communicate effectively with parents who do not speak the Dutch language about the development of their child. The language barrier sometimes makes that difficult. But people have great non-verbal capabilities.”

Predictable daily routine Cheyenne Molendijk recognises that too. She is a childcare worker at Partou at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, and works with expat children daily. “Parents always have a dedicated point of contact with us, a familiar face. In addition, you can do a lot with facial expressions. We usually use Google Translate and show pictures, objects and pictograms. This is also useful for showing the children what we do during the day, so they know what to expect. A predictable daily routine and recognisable rituals are very important for them.”

Partou’s OuderApp is also a handy aid in communication with expat parents. It’s used it to share photos and videos and describe what children do during the day. It is also used to follow their development. Cheyenne: “It shows parents that things are going well. That increases their trust in us.”

Focus on diversity Both children and parents must feel at home at Partou. “To know that their culture, background and customs are accepted. That they are heard,” says Cheyenne. “We have a strong focus on diversity. It’s important for us to get to know the parents. We always try to take their expectations into account and translate them into our own way of learning and playing.” This is also outlined in Partou’s pedagogical policy. “We respect parents’ educational wishes as far as possible,” Ardi adds.

Connecting parents with one another The great added value of childcare for expats is that it can expand their social network. Ardi: “Parents see one another when they drop off and collect their children, as well as at parent evenings. And we can play an active role in creating networks by putting people in touch with one another, if they want to.” This is done very actively at the location where Cheyenne works: “We check where people come from and whether we can put them in touch with one another. Expats encounter many challenges. They may be able to support one another through them.” Immersion Cheyenne finds her work with expats incredibly interesting: “It is an extra challenge to work with foreign parents and children, you are really immersed in new cultures. It also requires the ability to empathise: how would I myself like to be received in a strange country? That is why I always try to greet parents in their own language. I can now say hello in Chinese, Polish, Italian and many more

www.partou.nl

Daycare or preschool, what is the best for your child?

Every country has its own education and care system for younger children. In the Netherlands a child can go to either preschool or daycare. What are the differences?

Opening hours and age Daycare is a facility for children from 10 weeks to 4 years old. It offers full-day care and is mostly used when both parents are working. Daycares are open from 8.00 until at least 18.00, but often longer. You can bring your child for two to five days a week, all year long. Some daycares also offer options for shorter hours, e.g. mornings only or 8.00 to 15.00.

While daycare is the same in all cities, the way preschools are run depends on the policy of the city in which you live. The differences include the starting age of the child, the number of hours a child can attend per week and the costs. From the age of 2 or 2,5 a child can start at preschool for a couple of times per week. They can attend the morning shift (usually 5 hours) or the afternoon shift, lasting 3 or 4 hours. In most cities preschools are closed when the primary schools have holidays.

Quality All daycare centers and preschools have to follow the same requirements for child-caretaker ratio, hygiene rules and pedagogical approach. This is yearly checked by an independent healthcare organization, the GGD. Most preschools and daycare follow a special development program.

Costs The gross price for a daycare is around €100 a day, but when both parents are working within the EU, you can get a tax refund called childcare allowance. This depends on your income and covers part of the costs. The more you earn, the more you have to pay yourself. This is the same for preschool when both parents are working. per month. For preschool, the municipality pays part of the cost when only one parent is working. The contribution you to pay depends on your income and can range from €75 to €250 a month.

Food, diapers and activities are included in the fee of a daycare, while at preschool children need to bring their own drinks and snacks. A hot meal is usually not offered in Dutch education.

What is best for you? When both parents are working, preschool is not really an option with the available timeslots. When one parent is working, daycare is rather expensive and preschool is a cheaper option to prepare your child for school.

No matter what you choose, on the day your child turns 4, they start primary school. You can then use after-school care, which is organized by the same organisations as daycare for preschoolers. For after-school care, you can also get childcare allowance, if both parents are in work.

Contact Young Expat Services Young Expat Services is specialized in supporting families with children to find the right daycare, preschool or school. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us

www.youngexpatservices.nl