Almost all childcare centers have a serious shortage of staff. Parents with children in primary school know all about it. But after-school care De Sportstuif at 17 locations in Brabant is not affected by this. The BSO is growing enormously, but has hardly any problems finding staff. De Sportstuif offers sporty care and all supervisors have studied sport.
Manager Ruben Goossens of the Sportsstuif in Best says: “We see and hear around us that there are many shortages. More and more parents are also registering for childcare here, but we have enough staff to run all groups.”
“The range of sports is large and that makes the list of people long.”
The children play outside a lot and are active. “The people who work here have a sporting and pedagogical background. For example, the Academy for Physical Education (ALO) or MBO sport and exercise. The offer in that area is very wide and therefore many people are available,” explains Ruben.
It is also attractive for the supervisors. The teachers work part of the day at the shelter and can combine it with, for example, giving football training in the evening. “We work together with many sports clubs,” says Ruben.
“The musician’s life is mostly in the evening, so now I suddenly have to get out of bed early.”
Other BSOs, but also schools, are looking for creative solutions to tackle the staff shortage. For example, at primary school De Wittering in Rosmalen, they deploy musicians, artists and theater makers when a teacher is absent. With teaching qualification, but sometimes without.
Drummer Marcel van Vught regularly gives workshops, but is in front of the class on Wednesday. He normally plays in bands, but nowadays he can be found almost daily in schools and after-school care. “I wake up with an app saying that a teacher is sick somewhere in Brabant. That can be from group 1 to group 8. Then I go there and teach,” says Marcel. Schools have been helped and I can work a few more hours.”
That took some getting used to for him in the beginning. “The musician’s life is mostly in the evening, so now I suddenly have to get out of bed early. But it’s fun to do.”