Improved coaching and training requirements for childminders

What has changed?

Do you work as a childminder or do you run a childminding agency? There are new rules for childminding, intended to further improve the quality of care. Childminders receive better guidance and more professional training. This should contribute to greater professionalism. Childminding agencies 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 meets 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 worked as childminder before 1 July 2026.These requirements should improve quality of childminding.

Training requirement for pedagogical policy staff

There is also a new requirement for pedagogical policy staff of childminding agencies. These staff members 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, have changed in a number of areas:

• Educational coaching and continuing education: Educational coaching and continuing education became a fixed part of the annual meetings between the childminder agency and the childminder. This ensures that the childminder's skills remain up to date.
• Fewer mandatory meetings on location: It is no longer 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?

This change in the Regulation quality of childminding agencies and the Regulation childcare act has entered into effect on 1 July 2026.