News item | 10-06-2025 | 15:04
The Senate agreed to the bill of State Secretary Nobel (participation and integration) on the childminder shelter. The law confirms and strengthens the quality of the childminder shelter as a fully -fledged form of childcare.
State Secretary Jurgen Nobel: “Gastouderopvang is a solution for working parents who are looking for flexible care or a domestic environment for their child. I am happy that we are now going to improve its quality. Past parents themselves can also be eligible for allowance if their own children go to another childminder. We make it more attractive to work as a childminder.”
The bill has been drawn up in consultation with the national sector parties and supervisory organizations. The measures will apply from July 1, 2026. Gast parents and childminder agencies therefore still have more than a year to prepare.
The law is amended on the following points:
- Gastouderopvang must meet the same pedagogical basic goals that also apply to daycare and out -of -school care in a childcare center.
- A childminder may be affiliated with a maximum of two childminder agencies. Two exceptions apply: current contracts with parents do not have to be terminated. And childminders may be temporarily affiliated with three childminder agencies, during the period that they switch to a new agency.
- With the number of children that may be taken care of, the childminder’s own children are now counted until the age of eight. Now that is another ten years.
- Childminders are entitled to childcare allowance if the childminder’s own children are taken care of by another childminder. Until now, there is only a right to surcharge if the children of the childminder are taken care of by a daycare center or out -of -school care.
Coaching and training
Among other things, it is laid down in underlying regulations that childminder agencies will give pedagogical coaching to host parents. Every childminder is entitled to at least three hours of coaching a year. Childminders will also follow training and work with a pedagogical work plan.
Apart from the bill, the government has announced recently targeted measures to maintain the range of childminder care in the Netherlands. For example, new childminders can count on a reimbursement of a large part of their training costs. A campaign must increase the fame and attractiveness of the childminder shelter.