The Droombos, a crèche in Amsterdam’s Staatsliedenbuurt, recently decided to dissolve itself after a municipal reprimand at the end of February. Since April 9, the location is no longer in use the register reported the parole . “It was no longer possible, we could no longer offer responsible care,” sighs entrepreneur Robin Leemhuis of reception company Robinson, which operated the crèche.
Of all the details with which the Amsterdam GGD motivated its judgment about the Droombos, the baby that was parked in a bouncer placed in the direction of the wall for half an hour, probably appealed the most to the imagination. It was just one of the incidents that led the municipality of Amsterdam at the end of February to promise Robinson an operating ban.
And according to the GGD supervisor, there was also a lot to criticize about the childcare offered structurally. Floors that were too cold to play on, chaotic and unhygienic dining times, a workforce consisting of only substitutes. Leemhuis: “We are now head of jut, but the water is now also on the lips of other entrepreneurs.” As to the cause, he points to a trend among young employees in particular. “They all want to be self-employed nowadays. They are even actively recruited by Tadaa, an employment agency. That agency charges 60 euros per hour. Double what those same employees cost me as an employee.”
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After earlier much-discussed issues – the Hofnarretje and 24/7 Kids – Amsterdam crèches are under a magnifying glass, according to him. Leemhuis: “If only there was a supervisor for the supervisors.”
Ton Coenen comes close. As director of GGD GHOR, he supervises the quality of supervision. Moreover, supervision must be the same in all municipalities.
Are Amsterdam crèches indeed closely monitored?
“We have seen no evidence of that. We do recognize that the staff shortage poses challenges for the sector, but we do not see any differences between municipalities. It is also a dilemma for us: we see that it is difficult to find good people. You could say: be a little more lenient then. But lowering the bar in terms of supervision is not an option. The requirements are also not unreasonable, the reception simply has to be of a certain level. It must be safe and healthy. Fortunately, that is the case at more than nine out of ten daycare centers.”
Why are other crèches able to continue to deliver quality with fewer people?
“Because usually very committed people work there. Locations also want to do well, because our reports can be consulted by everyone. In that sense, supervision works exactly as intended.”
But if childcare centers are already suffering from a lack of staff, how will that be in 2025, when childcare for working parents becomes almost free? Researchers Minister van Gennip (Social Affairs, CDA) points to a shortage of 29,000 employees in 2031, if this government plan goes ahead.
“We got here at the end of last year already been warned and would love to do it again. We see a huge problem coming. We as GGDs cannot solve that, but it will have to be solved before this change takes effect. Otherwise, we will certainly see an increase in the number of crèches that run into problems.”
Do the GGDs themselves have enough people to guarantee supervision?
“Personnel is a challenge everywhere in healthcare and education. That also applies to us. And if the sector grows, supervision will also grow. But these are very different numbers than in the sector itself. And we are already adapting our way of supervision.”
Are you now making a concession to crèches struggling with shortages?
“No, but instead of judging afterwards about what went wrong, we are increasingly making risk profiles. For example, our GGDs are trying to advise more towards the future. Not giving a general picture of the quality, but concrete indications about risks and how to overcome them. This way nurseries know better what to do.”
Last week, an alderman from The Hague pleaded NRC ensure that childcare is no longer left to the market. This week was too with new advice warned Minister Van Gennip of the negative consequences of market forces. How does GGD GHOR see that?
“Then I would have to compare the situation with market forces with a situation without market forces. And I don’t have that information. Moreover, the challenge of finding enough good people remains the same in both scenarios.”
Also read this report: Who will pet that baby three more times on his head? Childcare is facing an acute staff shortage