Amendments 2023.

Our main driving force is that we want to help your child grow to be a sociable, capable, and independent adult. Our teaching assistants are a very important part of this, so we want to look after them properly.

There is a huge shortage of teaching assistants. Demand for childcare continues to grow, while the number of teaching assistants is lagging behind. The workload and pressure are high, causing restlessness in the groups. This is not what we are aiming for. Not for our staff members. And certainly not for the children. 

That is why, in 2023, we will be making choices and decisions related to our offerings that are all about our team’s work enjoyment - and as such, will have a positive impact on the well-being of your child(ren) in their groups.


 

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Tariff Change 2023.

Daycare and out-of-school care
View the hourly rates for daycare and out-of-school care.

Toddler care
View the rates for toddler care. The rates and allowances for toddler care are different for each local authority. Your local authority may wait to announce their rates after 1 January. We will be in touch as soon as your local authority announces the rates. 

Net costs
The net costs for childcare depend on your income. Our calculator helps you to easily work this out. If you need more help, our customer advisers will be happy to assist you! 

Our costs will increase dramatically in the coming year. Unlike other non-social childcare organisations, 100% of our profits are reinvested in our organisation. This enables us to assure quality, continuity and accessibility. To be able to continue doing this in the coming years, rates for 2023 will rise by 8.5%.

We understand this will have an impact on you as a parent. We would like to explain why the changes are necessary. The three main reasons for our tariff increase are higher wage costs, measures to reduce work-related pressure and a rise in other costs.

1. Increase in wage costs
Wage costs make up 72% of a childcare organisation's costs. Our employees' salaries are set out in a collective labour agreement (CAO) that runs until December 2022. Negotiations are underway and the trade unions are committed, amongst others, to a salary increase that compensates for inflation. The outcomes will be announced later, but this will have an immediate effect on our costs in 2023.

2. Work-related pressure
Work-related pressure is another important theme in the collective labour agreement negotiations. The entire childcare sector is currently experiencing a high level of work-related pressure. Research amongst our employees has shown that - unfortunately - we are no exception. Our teaching assistants also feel the work-related pressure is high. And we acknowledge that. We cannot predict what will be agreed in the collective labour agreement negotiations regarding the reduction of work-related pressure. Whatever it will be, each solution (such as group helpers or extra PPA hours) costs money. 

3. Other costs
An independent agency publishes an annual report on the expected cost development for the childcare sector. Pension premiums, social security contributions and inflation, amongst others, are taken into account. Inflation--simply put, the general increase in the cost of goods and services--has increased exponentially over 2022. This increase has an effect on all our costs, such as accommodation, energy and the procurement of goods.

1. What will the national standard rate be?
The national standard rate is the maximum hourly rate used by the Dutch Tax Authorities to determine your childcare allowance. The national standard rate is set at €9.12 for daycare and at €7.85 for out-of-school care. Please note that other amounts have previously been communicated for the national standard. In December 2022, the national government raised the national standard twice.

2. Why is your hourly rate higher than the national standard rate?
The national standard rate from the Tax Authorities is not sufficient for us to bear all our costs.

3. What does this mean for me?
The net costs for childcare depend on your income. Our calculator helps you to easily work this out. If you need more help, our customer advisers will be happy to assist you!

4. Where can I find my invoice?
The My Invoice page explains where to find your invoice and what the numbers on your invoice mean.

5. Have parents had a say in these changes?
Every year, the tariffs and products are submitted to the Central Parents’ Committee in a recommendation request. The parents’ committee had an unfavourable opinion regarding some parts of the changes for 2023. Subsequently, we informed the Central Parents' Committee in a substantiated manner that, for business reasons, we see no other option but to go ahead, unchanged, with our proposal.

6. This year’s offering is more limited than in previous years. Why is that?
We are committed to good childcare. We want to give your child the attention they ask for and deserve. At the same time, there is the persistent shortage of teaching assistants. This forces us to make choices. As such, we have decided to limit the offering and do the things we can do - properly. You can hold us to that. 


 

Changes to Services 2023.

The exchange service, and the limited options for using exchange hours in particular, creates a lot of upheaval in the group. It also creates an extra workload for our teaching assistants. For this reason, it will no longer be possible to accrue exchange hours beginning 1 January 2023. Previously accrued exchange hours will remain valid for 365 days after the cancelled day and can be used up to and including 31 December 2023.

1. Why are you discontinuing the exchange service?
In recent years, we have been able to offer the exchange hours as a service. Due to the shortage of staff in childcare, we noticed we were increasingly unable to meet exchange requests. This caused disappointment among parents, and sometimes frustration too. Dealing with, and in many cases rejecting, an exchange request led to extra work-related pressure in staff. For these reasons, exchanging will no longer be offered as a service.

In order to be able to offer childcare, we are also bound by the laws and regulations as described on the central government website.

2. What does this mean for me?
You will no longer accrue new exchange hours in 2023. You can use previously accrued exchange hours up to 365 days after the cancelled day. For example, if you cancelled a childcare day for 6 June 2022 within the permitted time, you will have received exchange hours for this day. These hours will be valid until 6 June 2023. All exchange hours will expire on 31 December 2023.

3. My location was usually able to exchange my hours, why are you now discontinuing this at all locations?
This change aims to create clarity for all parents and staff at once.

4. I have lots of exchange hours left. Can I still use these hours?
Yes, previously accrued exchange hours can be used up to 365 days after the cancelled day. For example, if you cancelled your child’s childcare day for 6 June 2022 within the permitted time, you will have received exchange hours that will remain valid until 6 June 2023. Exchange hours can be used up to and including 31 December 2023.

5. I would like to use my exchange hours, but it is not possible at my location. Will I be reimbursed for these hours?
No, the exchange service is subject to availability. You were and are not entitled to an exchange day. This means you will not be reimbursed if it is not possible to use the accrued exchange hours. We do not allow the use of exchange hours for childcare at a different location. We want your child to have a familiar and safe place. Plus, the laws and regulations do not allow it.

6. Will I be able to request occasional extra childcare?
If a space is available at your location on the day you require, you can purchase an extra day of childcare. You can arrange this via the Parent Portal. However, current circumstances do limit the options for occasional childcare.

7. Should I still cancel my child’s care?
Yes! The main reason is that we will be expecting your child. The teaching assistants will worry if they do not turn up and then contact you. What’s more, it helps us tremendously with our staff scheduling.

8. I have already cancelled hours for 2023. What will happen to those?
You can still use the exchange hours you received for these cancelled hours until 31 December 2023.

9. Why don't I get compensation if I unsubscribe my child?
Your child(ren) will come on one or more days and we will keep a place reserved for your child(ren). Our fixed costs, such as staff deployment, accommodation and energy costs, will continue, even if you decide not to bring your child(ren).

10. Will I still get compensation for (public) holidays?
Does a contract day fall on a (public) holiday? You used to receive exchange hours in return. As the exchange service will not continue, this compensation will no longer exist.

11. Why don't I get compensation for public holidays when my child cannot come?
On official holidays, employees continue to receive their pay, just like in other industries. Therefore, these hours are charged on public holidays. These hours are also eligible for the childcare allowance. For more information, visit this website of the Dutch government.

12. I have another question about this change. Who can I ask?
Our customer advisers are ready to answer your questions. View all contact options here.

Beginning in 2023, all our locations will close at 17:00 on a number of (public) holidays. It concerns the following (public) holidays: 

  • St. Nicholas Eve (5 December) 
  • Christmas Eve (24 December) 
  • New Year's Eve (31 December) 

In 2023, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are both on a Sunday, so these changes will only affect you on 5 December. 

1. Why will you be closing earlier on (public) holidays?
Giving children the right attention starts with staff members who feel happy and healthy themselves. We have noticed that the number of children on these evenings is relatively low, and that there is a high number of leave requests from staff. With the current staff shortage in the childcare sector, it is especially difficult to plan staff on these evenings.

2. These are not national public holidays. Surely you are there to look after our children on working days?
With the current staff shortage in the childcare sector, we want to take extra good care of our staff - for the simple reason that we want to continue to guarantee our services in future.

3. 5 December, St. Nicholas Eve, falls on a Tuesday in 2023. Will we be compensated for these hours?We have previously communicated that these hours were not compensated. This policy has changed, so we will still compensate for these hours.

4. Why did you choose St. Nicolas Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and not Eid al-Fitr and Good Friday, for instance?
We chose the (public) holidays with the smallest number of children in the early evenings and the days on which many teaching assistants would like to go home earlier. We want to remain an appealing employer and that is why we want to offer our employees the option to leave earlier on these days.

5. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are both on a Sunday in 2023. Why, then, are you communicating this change?
By communicating this change now, you can keep this in mind for your own agenda in 2024.

6. The childcare location is closed on official public holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Should I still pay for these days?
You pay for childcare on one or more days a week. If the public holiday falls on one of your childcare days, you have to pay for this day. Nothing changes for the childcare allowance either.

We us the general terms and conditions of the Social Childcare Sector Association (BMK). In addition to the sector’s general terms and conditions, we have terms of service and house rules. Starting in 2023, new terms of service will be in place, and the house rules have been amended.

Tips!

  • Tell the tax authorities about any the new hourly rate in good time. You will find the number of contract hours on your invoice. You can also request an hourly schedule from our customer service.
  • Use our calculator to calculate what your net costs will be.
  • Would you like to make sure that your current contract is still the most suitable for your situation? Contact our customer advisers!

If you have any questions or would like personal advice, we will be happy to help.