The Hague, Netherlands: Noureddine Amrani

The Dutch Trade Union Confederation (FNV) has called on the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) to introduce a simple, reliable, and sustainable funding system for the future of childcare by 2029. They stressed the need for a much better listening process to the 132,000 employees working in the sector, as these employees are key to any successful reform of the system.

Structural Investment in Staff

The FNV believes that continuous investment in the sector's workforce is essential to retain current staff and attract new talent. This will allow the sector to grow towards 2029 and meet increasing demand.

A Step-by-Step Approach

By 2029, a new and sustainable childcare system must be in place. This system should guarantee that parents experience no uncertainty, stress, or financial reimbursements (requiring parents to repay benefits). Therefore, the FNV wants to increase compensation for all families, provided that this compensation is not tied to income level and is not a work requirement. This will ensure equal opportunities for all children and help parents balance work and childcare. • Additional Measures to Relieve Pressure:

Additional measures should be taken to reduce pressure on the childcare sector, such as longer, fully paid leave for childcare, recognition of "multi-parenting" (more than two legal parents), and the implementation of a four-day work week for everyone.

• Ensuring Public Funds Are Spent Properly:

Public funds must be spent wisely. The sector must become more transparent, with a price cap. Dividend distributions (shareholder profits) and private equity investments should be prohibited. This way, we can ensure that billions invested actually go to childcare and don't disappear into the pockets of owners, shareholders, or private equity funds.

More efforts must be made to reduce the workload and make the sector more attractive to work in. The workload was already high, exacerbated by staff shortages, leading to burnout.

Therefore, more training and career development opportunities and greater autonomy are needed in the workplace. Other solutions include smaller groups (fewer children per supervisor), reducing unnecessary paperwork, and increasing the number of support staff.

Quality requirements must not be relaxed. These requirements are often the only way to reduce the workload somewhat, and they also ensure the safety of staff and children.

The FNV union expresses its deep disappointment that the BIO procedure (whereby part-time student employees are counted as full staff) has become permanent. Initially intended as a temporary measure, it places additional pressure on both student employees and the permanent staff who must supervise them. Some students are dropping out because they are required to work too early. The union wants this procedure reviewed and genuine structural solutions found to address staffing shortages.

The current benefit system causes numerous errors and refund claims. Of all those receiving childcare benefits, 20% face a refund claim. This translates to approximately 135,000 refund claims annually. Therefore, the union supports the new scheme whereby the government pays directly to childcare organizations. This way, parents have no risk. We never want to see a repeat of the uncertainty, (financial) stress, or refund claims. This can be well-organized within the new system. To ensure equal opportunities for all children, the employment requirement (that both parents be working for a child to receive childcare) must be abolished. Children of unemployed parents will then also be able to access childcare. This promotes equal opportunity and simplifies the system. Initial trials in The Hague, Groningen, and New Zealand have shown that completely free childcare works well.

Families with low incomes must also receive adequate support. Municipalities must be provided with sufficient funding to support these families. Many families will see their financial situations improve under the new system, and we must not forget those with the lowest incomes, who currently receive compensation of 96%.

Since commercial organizations and private equity funds are active in the childcare sector, the Federation wants to impose stricter regulations. There must be a price cap. Profiting from the sector should not be permitted, and private equity investments should be prohibited. It is irresponsible for the government to pay €9 billion to the sector without ensuring that the money is actually spent on childcare. For this reason, it makes sense for childcare to become a "public economic service." Dick Kurselman (an official at FNV) says politicians should not be afraid of pressure from business interests or private equity funds. Childcare is of great social importance: for children, for parents, and for society as a whole. This money should be spent wisely, and childcare should be accessible and affordable for everyone.