Requirements on safety, space, and construction for childcare centres

If you run a childcare centre or out-of-school centre in the Netherlands, you must provide safe and healthy spaces for the children to play and rest. These spaces must be suitable for the number of children and their age.

Safety, space, and construction requirements for childcare centres

The requirements on safety, space, and construction for childcare centres apply to locations for children under 4 years old. The rules are laid down in the Quality of Childcare Facilities Decree (Besluit kwaliteit kinderopvang, in Dutch), and in the Decree on construction works in the living environment (Besluit bouwwerken leefomgeving, in Dutch). These requirements include rules on fire safety, ventilation, noise, and sufficient space to play and sleep:

• The spaces inside and outside the childcare centre, as well as the playing materials, must be safe and clean.
• If the childcare centre has several groups of children, then each group must have its own separate space.
• For every child present, there must be a play area of 3.5 m2 inside the childcare centre.
• For every child present, there must be a play area of 3 m2 outside the childcare centre.
• For children up to 2 years old, the outside play area must be directly adjacent to the childcare centre. For children between the ages of 2 and 4, the outside play area must be adjacent to the building that houses the daycare centre.
• For children under the age of 18 months, the sleep area must be large enough and separate from the sleep area for children that are older.
• In new buildings, the sleep area must be located inside a protected fire compartment. This is a separate space inside the building constructed to prevent the spread of fire.
• The building must be fire-safe. For example, you have to have automatic fire doors. Whether or not you need a fire detector system or smoke alarms depends on the size of the building. And the floor on which the childcare centre is located. In new buildings, fire hose reels are mandatory.
• Curtains, floor coverings, decorations, toys, and furniture must be fireproof.
• The childcare centre must have proper ventilation systems. Strict ventilation requirements apply in particular to sleep areas with bunk beds.
• You must ensure that the children at the childcare centre do not suffer from too much noise from traffic, companies, or planes. For example by providing soundproofing.
• Every area in the childcare centre must have windows (except areas that are only used as sleep areas).
• Requirements apply for the difference in height for floors, fences, and gates, so that children do not fall or get stuck.
• New buildings for childcare that are larger than 250 m2 must contain at least 1 toilet for disabled persons.

Renovating a childcare centre

Do you want to renovate an existing childcare centre? Then you may have to apply for an environment and planning permit. Go to the Environment and Planning Portal Omgevingsloket (in Dutch) to check if you need an environment and planning permit (omgevingsvergunning). In the Omgevingsloket you can see which rules apply in your municipality, province, or regional water authority. You can then use the Omgevingsloket to apply online for an environment and planning permit.

Please note: Rules from the General Municipal By-law (APV) may also apply.

Building a new childcare centre

Do you want to build a new childcare centre? Or do you want to turn an existing building into a childcare centre? Check if this fits in with the municipal environment plan (omgevingsplan). The environment plan lists locations where childcare facilities are allowed. You can view the environment plan in the Environment and Planning Portal Omgevingsloket (in Dutch).