Pedagogical policy plan

Every childcare organisation (childcare centre, childminding agency and playgroup) in the Netherlands must have a pedagogical policy plan. In this plan you set out your views on how to interact with children. You have to adopt the pedagogical policy plan (in Dutch) before submitting an application for registration in the National Childcare Register (Landelijk Register Kinderopvang, LRK) with the municipal authorities.

How to make a policy plan

There are a number of subjects you should address in your plan. You need to describe how you offer responsible daycare. This applies to daycare and out-of-school care as well as for childminding agencies. Other subjects that should be addressed depend on the kind of care offered.

The pedagogical policy plan should always be up-to-date. If anything changes in your organisation, you should adapt the plan. Do you have a parents' committee? They have the right to advise you on your plan.

Responsible daycare

You should describe how you offer responsible daycare. This has to be addressed in every policy plan. You clearly state how childcarers and childminders:

• treat children respectfully and in a way they feel safe and secure
• help children develop through play
• support children and teach them social skills
• encourage children to get to know the shared values of society

Member of staff to implement pedagogic policy plan

Childcare organisations must employ or hire a member of staff responsible for implementing the pedagogical policy and coaching each childcare professional once a year. They also assist the professional childcarers in their day-to-day activities. The number of hours the pedagogic professional works hands-on in the group with children counts towards the professional childcarer-child ratio. The pedagogic professional must be employed for an obligatory number of hours. Use this online tool to calculate how many hours your childcare centre requires (in Dutch). You must record how many hours of pedagogic coaching each childcare professional receives.

Policy plan for childcare centres

You must address at least the following pedagogical subjects (in Dutch):

• How is emotional safety guaranteed?
• How is the development of personal skills promoted?
• How is the development of social skills promoted?
• How does the transfer of values and standards take place?

The policy plan for childcare centres must also specify:

• how the development of the children is monitored and stimulated
• how mentorship is organised and how often and in what way the mentor discusses the child's progress with the parents
• how you refer parents to other organisations if there are problems with the child's development
• the working procedure, maximum size and age structure of the basic groups
• how many (pedagogical) staff you have per group (depending on the childcarer-child ratio), and what their usual shifts and break times are
• how you let children get used to a new group
• how childminders are supported by other adults in their activities with children
• how the child's development will progress once it starts going to school and after-school care
• how you can pass on information about the child to school or after-school care with their parents' consent

If relevant to your situation, your policy plan should also contain information about:

• how you deal with the professional childcarer-child ratio and the three-hour rule
• how you deal with deviating from the familiar-face criterion
• during which activities the children can leave the group or room
• rules for childcare on additional days
• the tasks of the trainees and volunteers and how they are supervised
• how you offer childcare in other languages (in Dutch)

The pedagogic professional has to make sure the pedagogical policy plan is implemented. You as an owner are responsible, however.

Policy plan for after-school care

A policy plan for after-school care should contain the following information:

• how you provide responsible daycare
• how a mentor discusses information about the child's development with the parents
• how you inform parents and child who their mentor is
• how you refer parents to other organisations if there are problems with the child's development
• the working procedure, maximum size, and age structure of the group
• how you let children get used to a new group

If relevant to your situation, it should also contain the following information:

• how you deal with times that the minimum required amount of childcarers are not present
• during which activities children can leave the group
• rules around additional after-school care
• how you handle activities with over 30 children
• the tasks of trainees and volunteers and how they are supervised
• how you offer after-school care in other languages (in Dutch)

You as the owner are responsible for the implementation of the policy plan.

Policy plan for childminding agencies

The pedagogical policy plan for childminding agencies must also specify:

• the composition of the group of children cared for by a childminder
• the requirements you impose with regard to childminding care
• how your childminders offer responsible daycare
• the requirements for the place where daycare is provided

The home where childminding care is provided must have sufficient space for children to play and sleep in and sufficient outdoor play facilities, geared to the number and ages of the children in the childminder’s care.

You should inform your childminders about the pedagogical policy plan. Your childminders should implement the plan.

Multilingual childcare

You may offer childcare in German, English or French up to 50% per day. If you offer childcare in these languages, your policy plan must address:

• how and when these other languages will be spoken
• how this helps the child’s language development
• how you ensure that each child feels safe, heard, and understood when these languages are spoken
• which of your employees offer multilingual childcare, on which days and at what times
• how you replace your multilingual staff members when they are absent

Period of validity

The pedagogical policy plan must be up-to-date. If there are any changes in circumstances or insights at your childcare facility with regard to matters addressed in the pedagogical policy plan, you must modify the plan accordingly.