On Monday, February 21, Member of Parliament Jacqueline van den Hil visited a number of locations in Kapelle of childcare organization Kibeo. This gave Van den Hil a special look under the hood of childcare.
There is a lot to consider when offering childcare. Laws and regulations, quality requirements, sufficient spaces, suitable and qualified employees; various aspects that make it a challenge to support children in their development on a daily basis. Elly Brand, director of Kibeo, received Jacqueline van den Hil and talked to her about the opportunities and challenges within the childcare sector.
Opportunities and challenges within childcare
Van den Hil has held a seat in the House of Representatives for almost a year now. There she focuses, among other things, on child schemes and childcare. When Kibeo invited her to visit, she gladly accepted. She wanted to do her first working visit to a childcare organization in the province of Zeeland, where she was born and raised and still lives.
More intensive cooperation between reception and education
Childcare faces several challenges. For example, there is a major shortage of pedagogical staff nationwide, but there is also a structural need for more space for childcare facilities. Kibeo advocates more harmonization between the childcare and education sectors. “By collaborating more and more intensively, we can jointly commit to the development of the young child and matters such as knowledge, expertise and housing can be used more efficiently,” says Elly Brand of Kibeo. Jacqueline van den Hil endorses this: “It is important that education and childcare use each other's knowledge, but also each other's space. Especially when more space is needed for childcare, because the demand for childcare continues to increase.”
“It would be problematic if there is insufficient space and children cannot go to childcare as a result,” Van den Hil continues. “Not only because children receive less support in their development, but also because it is more difficult for parents to combine their work and caring for their child. For example, staff shortages will continue to arise in other sectors and the Netherlands will eventually be locked down.”
More appreciation for childcare
Elly Brand is pleased that van den Hil accepted her offer to visit Kibeo: “Childcare is a profession and should be appreciated more. It is positive for our field that someone like Jacqueline van den Hil has childcare in her portfolio and takes professional support in the development of children seriously.”
A look under the hood
Van den Hil was updated at three locations in Kapelle about the diverse range of Kibeo and everything that is organizationally involved in offering childcare. The day ended energetically with a few cool moves together with the children who participated in a workshop in the BSO workshop at Kibeo 't Saamdeel.
“It was very inspiring and useful to see with your own eyes how things work within childcare. I have lived in Kapelle for years, so it is also very nice to see that side of the village. It really appeals to me that Kibeo has an eye for the different needs of parents, such as reformed childcare, green childcare and child centers.”
