Childcare: Opportunities for Ukrainian Refugees

There are currently over 75 refugees from Ukraine in the Netherlands. Most of them are women and children. The issue of the possibility of obtaining various benefits and benefits for children is important for Ukrainians who ended up in the Netherlands because of the war. In addition, some of the refugees would like to get a job in childcare. Is it possible?

Can I get help caring for my own children?

Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands have the status of being under temporary EU protection. They are covered by most of the opportunities provided by the social protection of the Netherlands to local residents. Thus, Ukrainians can send children from 0 to 4 years old to kindergartens, and children from 4 to 12 years old to day care groups, where they will be provided with care and education. It is also possible to invite a nanny for children or a child with a gastouder - this can be translated as “invited parent” or “parent-guest”. The concept of gastouder is very common in the Netherlands - you can read more about it here to register: (in Dutch). At the same time, refugees have the right to choose the place where the child stays under supervision in a location convenient for them.

Refugees can also apply for Kindergarten/Children's Care Allowance (kinderopvangtoeslag). Learn more about this benefit and eligibility in this article. on our website. Since while this right is not enshrined in law, the allowance will be issued in advance. More details can be found in Letter from the Ministry of Finance to Parliament (in Dutch).

If the parents do not have the right to receive a kinderopvangtoeslag, then you can contact your municipality (gemeente) for help. In this case it is possible to calculate:

1. For pre-school child care for a few hours a week - usually for children 2 to 4 years old (so-called peuteropvang). 
2. Appointment for preschool education for children aged 2,5-4 years with a speech delay. This will allow the child to attend preschool for an average of 16 hours per week. There he will be trained according to a program that stimulates development, incl. and linguistic.
3. Temporary support based on social medical indications (social medische indicatie - SMI). You can read more about SMI, for example, here (in Dutch). With such indications, the municipality can cover a significant part of the cost of caring for the child.

Attention! According to the rules in force in the Netherlands, all persons under the age of 13 are considered children in need of care.

Can I work in childcare?

Ukrainian refugees who have the appropriate education and passed the integrity test can get a job in the field of childcare. This requires:

1. When applying for temporary protection status, get BSN (burgerservicenummer) - a single account number.
2. Contact the Ministry of Justice with the BSN for a VOG (Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag) - this is the Dutch equivalent of a certificate of no criminal record. Read more about VOG on our website.
3. Nostrify (confirm) the document on education. To do this, you need to contact the Information Center for Diploma Evaluation (Informatiecentrum Diplomawaardering - IDW). You need to be prepared for the fact that not all diplomas issued in the post-Soviet space are recognized in the Netherlands and can be nostrified, or they can be confirmed for a lower level of education (for example, not a bachelor, but a junior bachelor, etc.).
4. Register with the Child Care Registry (Personenregister Kinderopvang - PRK). The Netherlands is responsible for the selection of people to work with children, therefore, without registration in this register, work in the field of raising and caring for minors is impossible.
5. Find the right job.

Please note that working with children requires a high level of Dutch language proficiency. There may be some relief if you work with children of a certain language group, for example, with Ukrainian refugees. However, this is more the exception than the rule. If you plan to work in the Netherlands in the fields of education, upbringing and childcare, then a good command of the Dutch language is necessary.

The legislation of the Netherlands is quite complex, and sometimes it is not easy to figure it out on your own. If you have any questions or problems, we are always ready to help you. Please contact Nalog.nl for advice.