Staff shortage in daycare centers continues, BOinK wants fixed days for childcare

The childcare sector continues to struggle with major staff shortages. However, the number of vacancies has decreased slightly, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reported on Friday. In the second quarter of this year, 7,450 childcare workers were sought, compared to a peak of 7,700 in the previous quarter. The CBS also reported that 4,900 vacancies arose in childcare in the second quarter. In the first quarter of 2024, there were 5,700.

Several childcare organizations continue to have great difficulty finding sufficient staff. Large parties such as Partou, Babilou Family, and Gro-up are dealing with shortages and are sometimes forced to close locations or groups because there is too little staff available, they indicate.

For example, Partou has around 700 vacancies open, and it is especially difficult to find enough people in the big cities. The organization prefers to hire only self-employed people to fill roster gaps that arise due to illness and peak workloads. "But because of the scarcity of labor in the market, we also do this in other vacancies," says Partou. According to a spokesperson, it would help to recruit staff if working in childcare were made more attractive, for example, through an improved collective labor agreement. According to him, shortening training programs is also being considered to get people into the group more quickly.

At Gro-up, this involves approximately 50 full-time vacancies for 2,100 people. Because colleagues can be moved between different locations, there is usually no need for group closures. "This occasionally happens, for example, when the flu has affected several colleagues at the same time, and no colleagues from our internal flex pool can be deployed."

Babilou Family has around 200 vacancies for 2,500 employees. The organization tries to offer parents quieter childcare days, such as Tuesdays and Fridays. "Parents discuss this with employers to see if they can switch from a day off." Of the approximately 2,000 groups, a number now have to close almost every week because there is a staff shortage.

"We do not see how we are going to solve this problem in the coming decades," says BOinK chairman Gjelt Jellesma. The Interest Group of Parents in Childcare (BOinK) said in response to the CBS figures. BOinK pleads that parents should get a fixed number of days in childcare so that the pressure on that sector can be relieved.

"The problems with the labor shortage will continue after the summer vacations," said Jellesma about the staff shortage. "The people that childcare attracts are also interesting for the healthcare and education sectors." In his opinion, the sector remains sensitive, and careful consideration must be given to a structural solution before the staff shortage becomes "socially disruptive." In his opinion, the measures currently in place are not enough. There are now often bottlenecks and long waiting lists, especially in large cities, according to BOinK.

According to Jellesma, everyone should be entitled to two days of childcare, except people in so-called key occupations, who should get a third day. "If both parents work full-time in four days - 36 hours - and can work one day at home to share the care, two days of childcare would be enough." Jellesma then advocates Wednesdays and Fridays, which are often the quieter days.

He still sees "a certain rigidity" among employers in this respect. "But in the Netherlands, there is a complete imbalance between the labor market and the supply of childcare. The worst thing is that parents then choose not to work." According to Jellesma, it would also help if the government made it more attractive for Dutch people to work more in terms of taxes.

Jellesma expects that the childcare shortage will increase much further in the coming years due to the aging population. "The real blow has yet to fall."

If a solution to the staff shortage in childcare is not found soon, this could also have health consequences for the children who no longer have a place in a daycare center. According to BOinK, daycare centers promote children's mental health and social behavior. "Children who attend a daycare center suffer less from problems that psychologists refer to as "externalization" and "internalization" as they grow up: Preoccupied, inappropriate and confrontational behavior is less common, as are depressive moods, anxiety, and phobias."