Requirements for childminders

Are you a childminder (gastouder)? A childminder is responsible for looking after children in a family situation. Either in the childrens' home or in the childminder's own home. In the Netherlands, childminders must satisfy the requirements from the Dutch Childcare Provisions Act (Wet kinderopvang, Wko) and the Regulation for quality of childminder agencies, childminders, and facilities for childminder care (Regeling kwaliteit gastouderbureaus, gastouders en voorzieningen voor gastouderopvang).

A childminder is not allowed to also be the owner of the childminding agency.

What are the requirements for childminders?

Childminders in the Netherlands must be at least 18 years old. As a childminder, you must be familiar with the pedagogical policy plan, the health and safety policy, and the child abuse protocol of the childminding agency and you must act accordingly. You must be available when childminding at all times in case of emergency. And you must ensure a qualified replacement takes your place in case of your (unexpected) absence. You must make sure the childminding location meets the set-up requirements for childcare locations.

As a childminder you must also meet requirements for training, registration, and language.

Training requirements for childminders

• you must have the correct diploma or certificate. There is a list of diplomas (in Dutch) that satisfy the requirements
• if you have a diploma from the EEA or Switzerland that is not on the list, you can have it assessed by the Education Executive Agency (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, DUO) to determine whether it also satisfies the requirements
• you must have a registered and valid first aid for children certificate (kinder-EHBO certificaat)
• the diploma and the first aid certificate must be available on the childminding premises

Registration requirements for childminders

• you must be registered in the register for persons active in the childcare sector (Personenregister kinderopvang, PRK). For this you need a certificate of conduct (Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag, VOG) with screening profile 84 (caring for minors) or 86 (working in the childcare sector) to register. This applies to everyone who works or lives on the premises you take care of the children
• you must be registered with a childminding agency that is registered in the Dutch National Childcare Register (Landelijk Register Kinderopvang, LRK)

Language requirements for childminders

• you must speak Dutch when childminding
• you may speak a regional language or dialect if you are a childminder in that region
• you may also speak the language of the relevant family, for instance when minding children of foreign parents who are living in the Netherlands temporarily

Interns

Do you have an intern working or observing in your childminding location? They must register in the PRK if the internship lasts longer than 10 days or 2 consecutive weeks.

Childminding ratios

There is a maximum number of children that registered childminders can care for at any one time. The number of children you may care for at a time depends on their ages:

• you may care for maximum 6 children aged 0 to 13 at any one time
• you may care for maximum 5 children up to 4 years of age at any one time
• you may care for maximum 4 children up to 2 years old at any one time
• you may care for maximum 2 babies (up to 1 year old) at any one time

Please note: your own children (up to 10 years old) are included in the number of children you may care for at any one time.