News item | 02-06-2023 | 14:03
The cabinet wants to make multilingual day care possible in childcare and has therefore prepared an amendment to the Childcare Act. From the entry into force of the bill, child centers can offer a maximum of 50% of the daily care time in German, English or French. These rules are further elaborated in the Childcare Quality Decree. This draft decision is now open for internet consultation.
Childcare centers can choose to offer multilingual childcare. They are not required to do this. The draft decision only concerns childcare centers that choose to offer multilingual childcare. There will be three additional conditions that child centers that offer multilingual childcare must have thought about in advance. The relevant child centers must include these conditions in their pedagogical policy plan. In addition, the draft decree stipulates conditions under which, by way of exception, a higher percentage than 50% of German, English or French can be offered temporarily on one day. People can respond to the draft decision up to and including 2 July 2023. The new rules on multilingual day care are intended to enter into force on 1 January 2024.
Multilingual childcare
The legislation will soon no longer make a distinction between multilingual day care and multilingual out-of-school care. The term ‘multilingual childcare’ is therefore used in the law and the decree. This means that from 1 January 2024, both day care and out-of-school care can offer a maximum of half of the care time per day in German, English or French, subject to the conditions of the draft decree.
Further conditions in the draft decision
This draft decision only affects childcare locations that want to offer multilingual childcare. The draft decree sets further conditions for multilingual childcare. Multilingual childcare centers must indicate in their pedagogical policy plan how they shape the multilingual offer. They must specifically address three parts: 1. the method and relationship between the two languages, 2. the way in which emotional safety and stability is offered specifically in the multilingual group and 3. how they organize their workforce for multilingual childcare and how they interact with the replacement of professionals.
The decree also makes it possible to temporarily deviate from the maximum percentage of 50% per day in the event of illness, holiday or other type of leave. The possibility of derogation prevents the law from becoming too oppressive in these situations. The Decree sets conditions for the situations in which the possibility of derogation can be invoked.
Respond to the internet consultation up to and including 2 July 2023
The draft decision amending the Childcare Quality Decree for multilingual childcare is now available online for public (internet) consultation. Anyone who wants to can respond up to and including July 2 www.internetconsultation.nl