Requirements for childminders

A childminder (gastouder) 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). The main requirements are:

• Childminders must have a correct diploma or certificate. There is a list of diplomas (in Dutch) that satisfy the requirements. If you have a (foreign) diploma that is not on the list, you can have it assessed by the Education Consolidation Department (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, DUO) to determine whether it also satisfies the requirements.
• Childminders must have a registered and valid first aid certificate that focuses on children. The diploma's original and the first aid certificate must be available on the childminding premises.
• Childminders must be 18 or older.
• Childminders must have a certificate of good conduct (VOG) with screening profile 84 (caring for minors) or 86 (working in the childcare sector).
• Persons of 18 years of age or older who share the childminding premises with a registered childminder, must also have a VOG.
• Childminders must be able to identify themselves through valid proof of identity.
• Childminders must be registered with a childminding agency that is registered in the Dutch National Childcare and Playgroup Register (Landelijk Register Kinderopvang en Peuterspeelzalen, LRKP).
• Childminders must be familiar with the pedagogical policy plan, the health and safety risk inventory and the child abuse protocol of the childminding agency and must act accordingly.
• Childminders must speak Dutch when childminding. The childminder may also speak the language of the relevant family when childminding children for foreign parents who are living in the Netherlands temporarily due to their work. The childminding agency will define a code of conduct for this.

Childminding ratios

Registered childminders are given a maximum number of children that they can care for at any one time. Article 13 of the 2012 Quality of Childcare Facilities and Playground Facilities Regulation (Regeling kwaliteit kinderopvang en peuterspeelzalen 2012) states that:

• you may care for maximum 6 children aged 0 to 13 at any one time, including your own children up to the age of 10:
• of these 6 children, maximum 5 may be younger than 4 years of age at any one time, including your own children up to the age of 4;
• of these 5 children, maximum 4 children may be aged 0 and 1 at any one time;
• of these 4 children, maximum 2 children may be aged 0 at any one time (including your own children).