Improved coaching and training requirements for childminders

What changes

Do you work as a childminder or do you run a childminding agency? There will be new rules for childminding, intended to further improve the quality of care. Childminders will receive better guidance and more professional training. This should contribute to greater professionalism. Childminding agencies will have more flexibility in the way they conduct interviews. They remain responsible for a proper evaluation with the parents.

The proposed changes are:

Stricter training requirements for childminders

Training for childminders will have to meet stricter requirement. If someone who wants to start work as a childminder has had training that does not include pedagogy, an additional pedagogical module is required. This requirement does not apply to people who already work as childminder.These requirements should improve quality of childminding.

Training requirement for pedagogical policy staff

There will also be a new requirement for pedagogical policy staff of childminding agencies. These staff members will have to coach childminders and should have the right knowledge and skills to do so.

Changes in support and mediation

The coaching and intermediary activities a childminding agency offers, will change in a number of areas:

• Educational coaching and continuing education: Educational coaching and continuing education will become a fixed part of the annual meetings between the childminder agency and the childminder. This will ensure that the childminder's skills remain up to date.
• Fewer mandatory meetings on location: It will no longer be mandatory to hold the matching interview and the progress at the location of the childminder. More freedom in choosing a location for these interviews makes the process more flexible for both childminders and parents.
• Best-efforts obligation for parent reviews: Childminding agencies must review the care with parents every year. If parents do not feel the need for this annual review and the agency has done everything it can to offer it, the agency cannot be held accountable. This ensures a fairer assessment of the agency's efforts.

For whom?

• childminders
• holders of a childminding agency

When?

It is not yet known when this change in the Regulation quality of childminding agencies and the Regulation childcare act will come into effect.

Please note: The effective date of this measure is not yet final. Entry into force is subject to its passing through the Lower and Upper Houses (Tweede en Eerste Kamer) of parliament. After publication in the Staatsblad or Staatscourant (Government Gazette, in Dutch) the law can take effect.