News item | 21-06-2023 | 12:15
The benefits affair has made it painfully clear that the financing system for childcare must become much less complex. The government is therefore working on a careful review of the childcare system to make financing simpler, more predictable and more affordable for parents. Minister Karien van Gennip (Social Affairs and Employment) today sent several analyzes to the House of Representatives about the expected impact of the new system.
These analyzes looked at the possible effects of the system reform for, among other things, parents’ administration, labor participation, equality of opportunity and implementation. This concerns the impact analyzes requested by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment on childcare organizations and childminder agencies (carried out by Waarborgfonds Kinderopvang), childcare employees (carried out by Waarborgfonds Kinderopvang), parents (carried out by D&B and Kenniscentrum Psychologie en Economisch Behaviour) and the joint impact analysis of the implementing organizations DUO, Supplements, SVB and UWV. In addition, the Central Planning Bureau and the Social and Cultural Planning Bureau have jointly published a social impact analysis.
Minister Van Gennip:
These studies are valuable building blocks for the design of the new childcare system. Childcare must become much simpler, more predictable and more affordable for parents and give children a promising start. That is why we are working hard on a new system together with the childcare sector and executive organizations. We must do this carefully and step by step. In the coming period, we will weigh everything against each other on the basis of these analyzes and decide what the new system will look like.
Careful introduction
The main aim of the new childcare system is to abolish the complex childcare allowance and introduce a high allowance for working parents, regardless of income. In the new situation, this reimbursement goes directly to the childcare organizations, so that parents no longer run the risk of high reimbursements. The new system should also contribute to a good start for children and ensure that it pays more for parents to work. This is a major system overhaul that requires careful and gradual implementation. For this reason, the cabinet decided this spring that more time is needed than previously anticipated. After the summer, the cabinet will issue a letter of outline on how the new system will be set up.