Staff shortages are hampering expansion plans, which is also the reason for long waiting lists. RTL Nieuws asked 22 childcare organizations across the country about waiting lists and their plans to expand. More than half of the organizations surveyed have plans to expand. 17 organizations say waiting lists are getting longer.
National problem
A few years ago, staff shortages were particularly evident in the Randstad conurbation. Now it has become a national problem. “Demand will increase by 31% in the coming years. This is a huge figure,” says Emmeline Bijlsma, director of the Childcare sector association. “To meet demand, we will need 50,000 more employees. I have no idea where we will get these employees.”
The government plans to make childcare almost free in 2025. The industry organization doubts that childcare organizations can manage this.
Places
The shortage of premises was a limiting factor for the expansion of childcare. According to the Child Care Branch Organization, the situation has changed. Today, childcare organizations are limited in their expansion options due to staff shortages.
“If we had ten more employees, I could open more locations,” says Yvonne van Dijk, from KidzEiland, a preschool in Middelharnis, South Holland. KidzEiland has been offering Out-of-School Care (BSO) since 2020. The organization wants to respond to the growing demand and open new locations. The building is ready, but the staff are almost impossible to find. “We already have a room ready for a BSO, we can move in right away. It really depends on the staff.”
Pasted
Many parents have problems with work due to a shortage of childcare staff. A survey reveals it Foundation for Working Parents where 39 per cent of parents say the issue is having a major impact on their work. Due to staff shortages, 28 percent of parents have made different career choices. Some even had to give up working hours because their children couldn’t go to daycare.
Some parents are concerned about their children’s development. Nanda Markus, mother of four, has to wait almost a year before her 2-year-old can go to kindergarten. “I work as a maternity nurse. I don’t need a babysitter in the form of daycare, but I think what my son gets from childcare, like playing and sharing together, is really important for his development.”
It was different with her older children, she says. “Everything went smoothly. I just had to call to give them up. But now it’s much more difficult. I didn’t expect such a long waiting list.”
