Frequently asked questions about our childcare

That’s difficult to say, because there are children of all ages on the waiting list and we use horizontal groups. Of course, we’ll offer you a place as soon as one becomes available that meets your requirements.

That depends on various factors including preferred days, how many days you need, and how flexible you are. For example, the likelihood of a placement becoming available for one day is greater than three or four days becoming available in one go. The more flexible you are as a parent, the greater the likelihood that we will be able to offer you a place.

If you’re seeking a place quickly, we’d be happy to look at the options available in our schedule. At the busier locations, we often work approximately four months ahead, so it can take some time before you hear from us. If there’s a waiting list, we rely on cancellations/schedule changes for new places to become available.

Are you pregnant and looking for a place in the longer term? We have horizontal groups at Kindergarden and this affects how far ahead we can plan. Horizontal means that children move on to the next group at a certain time. As we take a child’s development and age and the days that a child spends at the daycare center into account, we plan four to six months ahead, depending on how busy the center is. A schedule can also change a lot. Factors that influence this include registration of siblings (they are given priority), schedule changes for children who already have a placement (switching days or increasing the number of days), and cancellations.

Many of our locations have waiting lists because many places are currently full. We rely on cancellations or schedule changes to make a new place available for you. This makes it very difficult to estimate how long it will take before placement options come up. We offer places based on the registration date.

We also have two types of waiting lists:

• an internal priority waiting list for siblings and for extra days for children who already have a place
• a general waiting list for children who do not yet have a place at Kindergarden.

To increase the chances of securing a spot, we recommend enrolling your child as soon as possible at our childcare. We take your preferences into account during our planning and strive to fulfill your wishes to the best of our ability.

We do our utmost to create a place for you. But we are, unfortunately, unable to guarantee that we will be able to offer you a place on your preferred days starting from your desired start date.

No, registering for the waiting list is free of charge and without obligation.

It doesn’t cost anything to cancel your registration. As parents, once you sign the contract, you can still cancel the placement free of charge up to one month before the placement starts. In other cases, a cancellation period of one month applies.

We have account managers (per region) and planners at Kindergarden. You can contact your account manager by telephone. If we are able to offer you a place, you will receive an offer from us by e-mail.

You can register by sending an e-mail via klantcontact@kindergarden.nl. Please let us know your due date and when you would like to start your childcare. We can then place you on the waiting list and inform you about availability on your preferred days and the start date.

You can cancel at any time but a cancellation period of one month applies. This month also applies if you are making a partial cancellation: One day less, for instance. Please send your notification to use by e-mail via contact@kindergarden.nl.

We currently offer two types of services. Read more here:

• Daycare
• After-school care

Flexible contracts include, for example, the purchase of childcare every other week, on half days, days that can be used flexibly, 40-week contracts, childcare only during holiday periods.

No, we do not offer any flexible contracts. This is because most of our locations have waiting lists. For us, it’s also really important that we can ensure group continuity and a calm, predictable environment. There are some exceptions though and this depends entirely on the location you are interested in.

No, we do not offer bilingual care.

If you want to take an extra day on an ad hoc basis, you can request this via the Parent app. You will be able to add an extra day if the group size allows this. If you have built up exchange credit (by canceling earlier cancellations in time), you can pay for the incidental day by means of this exchange credit.

If you want to take an extra day on a structural basis, please contact our customer care department by e-mail at contact@kindergarden.nl or by telephone on 020 423 54 22.

If you want to change something in your contract, such as taking an extra day or switching days, please contact our customer care department by e-mail at contact@kindergarden.nl or by telephone on 020 423 54 22. We’ll be happy to look at the options with you.

The contract runs until the day your child becomes four. It then stops automatically. Children can go to elementary school on their fourth birthday.

If you receive Childcare allowance, don’t forget to inform the Tax Office of the changes. You can find all the information you need regarding your child’s fourth birthday on this Tax Office page.

The contract runs until the day your child becomes four. If your child isn’t going to elementary school straight away on his or her fourth birthday, for instance because of a vacation, we can submit a request for an extension. This is only possible if this does not compromise the placement of babies and toddlers and placement of siblings.

Please inform us straight away as soon as you know that you need an extension. You can do this by telephone (020 423 54 22) or by e-mail via our customer care department. We will then request an extension from the municipal health service (GGD) and will inform you if this request has been approved.

An after-school care contract relates to care after school hours. Children are collected from the school by a member of our childcare staff when the school finishes. During school vacation periods and/or study days, children are welcome at the after-school care the whole day. The same times apply here as for the daycare center: 7.30 am - 6.30 pm. This only applies to your contracted days. Should a study day fall outside your contracted days, you can consult the location manager to see whether you can request this extra day.

Kindergarden invoices in advance. The invoicing runs in parallel with Childcare Allowance payments, which are paid on the 20th for the coming month.

We post the invoice for the next month in the Parent Portal every month around the 16th. You can find invoices in the menu on the left under ‘documents’ and then under the ‘invoices’ tab. If you arranged a direct debit, the amount will be debited from your account between the 23th and 27th of the month. You can find the exact date of the direct debit in de Parent Portal.

If you pay manually, you have fifteen days in which to pay the invoice.

We prefer payments to be made by direct debit. Then you always pay on time and you don’t need to worry about timely payment of invoices.

However, you can transfer payment for the invoice yourself. Make sure that you pay the invoice by the end of the month (within fifteen days as indicated above), otherwise the reminder process will start, and it would be a shame to have to pay unnecessary collection costs.

If you booked an extra day, the invoice for this will be published in the Parent Portal on the 1st of the month. The amount will be debited around the 6th of the same month.

Of course, it’s possible that you started halfway through the month. This means that your first invoice cannot be included in the standard invoicing process. For instance, if you start on the 20th of the month, we cannot send you an invoice on 16th as we do in our standard invoicing process. If you start later in the month, you will receive the invoice around the 4th of the next month. The amount will then be debited around the 8th of the same month.

This relates to various factors including where the location is situated, rental charges for the premises, or the prices charged by local competitors.

We base the fee on an annual amount and divide this annual amount over twelve months. This means that you will receive an invoice each month for the same amount. Public holidays such as Easter, Christmas and Ascension Day are already included in this.

No, there are no discounts for second or third children. As a parent you will, however, receive proportionately more childcare benefit from the tax authorities when you have a second child.

We charge a fixed price per month based on the number childcare days you use per week. We are open eleven hours per day. The monthly price remains the same irrespective of the number of hours per day that your child actually attends the center. The costs per month can differ per location. You can find the rates per location on our website. There’s also a calculation tool there to calculate your net childcare payments.

Yes. You will receive a notification every year in November regarding the annual rate changes (for the next calendar year). These are necessary to cover indexation of salary and other costs, inflation, and to safeguard healthy business operations.

Different rates apply if you use an extra day’s childcare or extended childcare (childcare provided between 7.00 am and 7.30 am and between 6.30 pm and 7.00 pm). We calculate the rate for extended childcare in units of fifteen minutes (or part thereof). For example, if you use extended childcare for twenty minutes, you will need to pay for two units of fifteen minutes.
 

This depends on various factors including parental income. You should request childcare allowance via the Tax Office. You can find all the information you need here.

The Tax Office determines whether you are eligible for childcare allowance and the amount of this. You can do a test calculation via our website (insert link to the calculation tool) and on the Tax Office website to see whether, as parent, you are entitled to childcare allowance. You can find the information you need to make the test calculation on our rate pages.

• number of hours per day/month
• average hourly rate
• monthly price

You should inform the Tax Office yourself of any changes in your situation. So if your childcare hours change make sure you inform them yourself as soon as possible. This also applies if your income changes, or if you and your partner separate. You can inform the Tax Office of any changes via the Tax Office website or just use the Kinderopvangtoeslag app (childcare allowance app) that you can download here.

If you are eligible for childcare allowance and if you want to apply for this, please visit the Tax Office website.

If you want to receive swap credit you must cancel your child’s attendance before 12:00 noon at least one day prior to absence. You should do this via the Parent app. We can then respond to your cancellation. If you cancel your child’s attendance later, for instance because your child is ill or you suddenly do not need childcare, you will receive no swap credit.

Your swap credit applies to that specific child and type of childcare and is valid from 30 days before to 30 days after the missed childcare day.

You can cancel 150 days (or five months) in advance. The credit that you accrue can only be used in the 30 days before or after the contract day.

We can only approve your request if we have enough space in the group or at the location. When assessing the request, we take into consideration the group composition, the staff-child ratio (BKR) and the childcare quality.

We will facilitate these, but swapping is actually a service for and by parents. If you cancel your child’s attendance in time, this creates a space for another child. It is parents themselves who enable the swap service to work. The sooner you know your child will not be coming, the sooner we can help another parent by providing a spot for their child. In a fully occupied group, swapping will therefore only be possible if another child’s attendance has been cancelled.

You can use accrued swap credit by requesting extra childcare days via the Parent App or the Parent Portal. Your swap credit can only be used if there are enough hours in the credit. It is not possible to request an extra childcare day (or half day) partly using credit and partly by paying for this. If your extra childcare day isn’t needed after all we are unfortunately unable to refund the requested hours from the credit. The credit can also not be converted into cash.

The total overview of credit is visible in the Parent app and Parent Portal.

The location manager will assess your request as quickly as possible and certainly within two working days. We can approve an alternative day or extra day from up to four weeks before the day in question, to the day before at the latest. Of course, we will do our best to clarify matters for you as a parent as quickly as possible, once our planning, staffing and other cancellations are clear.

We check requests between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. Please be aware that we can only accept your child if the request has been approved. You can find the status in the agenda under “Request overview”.

We will approve your request if there is enough space in the group and this is in line with legislation and regulations. This means that we will not accept more than the maximum permitted number of children in the group and will not exceed the staff-child ratio (BKR). As the BKR varies per age group, it can happen that we approve a request for your toddler but not your request for your baby.

Cancellations made during the weekend cannot be taken into account before the Monday and you do not gain any swap credit for them.

If extra childcare is not yet possible on your requested day we will automatically place your request on the waiting list. Unfortunately, we are unable to inform you about this by telephone.

You can pay for the extra childcare day with swap credit or you can be billed for this (if you do not have enough swap credit). It is not possible to take extra childcare days partly from swap credit and the rest via billing. We will also not settle any extra days against any swap credit that is accrued later.

If you have a request for several children, you can also indicate that you only want to use the extra day if we approve all requests.

If you no longer need the extra childcare we are unfortunately unable to refund the requested hours from the credit. The credit can also not be converted into cash.

If your child will be starting soon, the location manager will contact you to schedule an appointment for an intake interview and to discuss whether you want to arrange some shorter days from the start date to help your child adjust.

During the intake interview, the mentor and location manager will inform you about the ins and outs of the daycare center. What’s even more important is hearing from you how things are going with your child, your child’s routine (if your child already has a routine) and whether your child is sensitive to certain foods.  

You can ask any questions you have during the intake interview and there’s plenty of time for a good chat. Finally, we exchange contact details during the intake interview so that we can reach each other during the day if needed.

It’s a lot for your child to take in when they start at Kindergarden. We call this the settling in period. We discuss with you how best to arrange the settling in period so that your child quickly feels safe and secure. The location manager will contact you before the start date to schedule an intake interview and to discuss whether you want to arrange some shorter days from the start date to help your child adjust.

In our experience, parents often bring their child for a shorter period for the first two times, because they prefer that or because we notice that it’s better for the child.

A baby does not yet sleep or eat at fixed times. That’s why our daycare centers have separate baby groups in which everything is designed to ensure we can take into account the routine your child is used to at home.

We work gradually towards a fixed routine from the first year. We will discuss how and when to start doing this with you. Children in the infant and toddler group eat together three times a day at fixed times. They also enjoy playing outdoors in the garden at least once a day. It’s wonderful having a run around, letting off steam in the fresh air!

Our after-school care locations have differing opening hours as elementary schools finish at different times. You can find your specific after-school care location’s opening hours on our website.

During vacation periods, your child is welcome the whole day on your contracted days. The opening hours are then the same as the opening hours of our daycare centers: from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm. If you need extra time outside those hours you can pay for additional fifteen minute-periods at the location from 7.00 am - 7.30 am and from 6.30 pm to 7.00 pm.

We also take regular trips during the vacation periods - it is vacation time, after all. Our trips are always a combination of education and fun. Trips could include an exciting treasure hunt using geocaching in the neighborhood or visiting a local beekeeper, or we make a visit to a museum because that’s fun and educational for all ages! We always plan our trips carefully and match them to the children’s ages and development, and of course our qualified childcare staff always go along too. The location manager or the group will inform you well in time of any trips that are scheduled for the coming vacation.

For more information you can also check here.

There is always one member of childcare staff in a group of ten children aged four to six years. In a group with twelve children from seven to twelve years, there is always one member of childcare staff in a group.

At Kindergarden we give your child healthy and varied food, at various times of the day.

Healthy buffet
The healthy buffet comprises raw vegetables and fruit, yoghurt with muesli, nuts and one sandwich or two crackers with a healthy topping. We always first encourage the children to eat some raw vegetables before choosing anything else. And of course, they also get something to drink, a choice of water or warm (not hot) tea.

Lunch
Has your child’s school finished early? Of course, we’ll offer them a healthy lunch, including wholemeal bread with various, healthy toppings. Yoghurt is also an option. We also offer something to drink; a choice of water or warm (not hot) tea.

Snacks
At the end of the day we always offer a snack, which can comprise fruit or dried fruit, or raw vegetables and something to drink.

Hot evening meal
There are also several Kindergarden after-school care locations where the children are given a hot meal at the end of the day. That’s convenient as they’ll already have eaten when you collect them. Of course, we serve healthy meals that cover all the basic food groups. We always prepare these fresh meals ourselves. If we offer this service at an after-school care location it will be mentioned on the location page.

Your child visits the after-school care location twice to get adjusted. The first time you can bring your child to the after-school care location yourself so your child and the childcare staff can get to know each other. On the second settling in day, we’ll collect your child from school. The settling in days are always somewhat shorter than a standard day to help your child adjust to the new situation. The mentor will agree the settling in day times with you.

The mentor will also make an appointment with you for the intake meeting, during which the mentor and location manager will inform you about the ins and outs of the after-school care location and will exchange contact details with you. There will also be plenty of time to talk together about the after-school care location.

We use horizontal groups. This means that the groups are categorized according to age. For instance, there are baby groups (0-2 years), infant groups (1-3 years) and toddler groups (2-4 years). Several locations also have an older toddler group (from 2.5 years).

Horizontal groups enable us to match everything to the children’s age and needs. The rooms, materials and activities are set up specifically to meet the developmental needs of children in these age phases. We also consider each individual child needs, irrespective of the group they’re in.

A baby does not yet sleep or eat at fixed times. That’s why our daycare centers have separate baby groups in which everything is designed to ensure we can take into account the routine your child is used to at home.

We work gradually towards a fixed routine from the first year. We will discuss how and when to start doing this with you. Children in the infant and toddler group eat together three times a day at fixed times. They also enjoy playing outdoors in the garden at least once a day. It’s wonderful having a run around, letting off steam in the fresh air!

Our daycare center standard opening hours are from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm. If you need extra time outside those hours you can pay for additional fifteen minute-periods at the location from 7.00 am - 7.30 am and from 6.30 pm to 7.00 pm.

Our after-school care locations have different opening hours. You can find your location’s opening hours on our website.

Kindergarden offers you the option of exchanging fixed childcare days. We can do this if the group composition allows and if there are enough childcare staff present in the group. If you deregister your child on time via the Parent app, you will accumulate swap credit that you can use at a later date.

Swapping is a service that we offer, and is facilitated by the cooperation of all parents. If you cancel your child’s attendance in time for a particular day, this creates a space for another child. The sooner you know your child will not be coming, the sooner we can help another parent by providing a spot for their child.

If you want to take an extra day or switch days on a structural basis, please contact our customer care department by email contact@kindergarden.nl or by telephone on 020 423 54 22.

This can differ per location and group. It depends on the number of children in a group and the age differences within the group. We adhere to the guidelines established by the municipal health service (GGD) for this. The Professional-Child-Ratio (BKR) is determined by law and you can find the regulations for this on 1ratio.nl.

As we use horizontal groups at Kindergarden, your child will move on to the next group at a certain point. We take your child’s development, age, and the days your child is at the daycare center into account for this. We look four to six months ahead, depending on how busy the center is. You will hear from the location when it’s time for your child to move on.

The Parent App includes the telephone number and e-mail address of the location your child attends. You can find this information in the bottom right of the menu under ‘More’ and ‘My Locations’.

No problem, the Pin Code is general: 2110. Use your login details to continue logging in and activate the app.

If your child is ill or will be absent for a day, you can always mention this at the location. But it’s also easy to do this via the app. Go to ‘Care’ in the menu at the bottom. Select the day your child will be absent and click on the pencil icon on the right. Then select ‘Present or absent’.

Please inform us in advance if someone other than you or your partner is coming to collect your child. It’s easy to inform us via the Parent app. Click on 'Write message' at the top of the homepage ('My child').

Yes, both parents have separate accounts.

Discuss the complaint at the location

Open communication is very important to us at Kindergarden. We aim to resolve any concerns or complaints as quickly and efficiently as possible so that everyone feels heard and understood. 

We encourage you to first discuss any complaints or concerns with the location manager or employee(s) at the location where the problem occurred, so we can try to clear up any misunderstandings and reach a good solution together. We aim to create an atmosphere of positive cooperation. Our employees are always ready to listen and help. Lodging a complaint informally at the location is often the quickest and most effective way to reach a solution. 

If you’d prefer to talk to our customer care department, that’s no problem. Feel free to contact our customer care department by e-mail at klantcontact@kindergarden.nl or by telephone on 020 423 54 22. 

If you don’t arrive at a satisfactory solution after talking with the involved employee(s), we can understand that you may want to make a formal complaint. A complaint form is available for submitting an official complaint. 

Click here to go to the form for submitting an official complaint.

If you have any questions or need help submitting a complaint, feel free to contact our customer care department by e-mail at klantcontact@kindergarden.nl or by telephone on 020 423 54 22.

Applying for a job at Kindergarden is simple. We have a dedicated website for our recruitment activities. Visit our website at www.werkenbijkindergarden.nl and click on the "Vacatures" page. Here, you'll find an overview of all the available job vacancies at various locations. Click on the vacancy you're interested in, and you'll be directed to the job description page where you can find more information about the role and the requirements. If you're interested, you can apply online by filling out the application form. We look forward to receiving your application!

It is possible to do an internship for the position of childcare professional at Kindergarden. We offer internship positions for students who are studying in the field of pedagogy, education, care, or a related field. During your internship at Kindergarden, you will have the opportunity to gain valuable practical experience working with young children.

To learn more about internship opportunities at Kindergarden, we invite you to visit our website www.werkenbijkindergarden.nl.

For a complete overview of internship positions for childcare professionals at Kindergarden, you can visit the vacancy overview.