News article | 02-06-2023 | 14:03
The cabinet wants to make multilingual day care possible in childcare and has therefore prepared an amendment to the Childcare Act. From the entry into force of the bill, childcare centers will be able to offer a maximum of 50% of the daily reception time in German, English or French. These rules are specified in the decree on the quality of childcare. This draft decision is now open for consultation on the Internet.
Nurseries can choose to offer multilingual care. They are not required to do so. The draft decision only concerns crèches which choose to offer multilingual care. There will be three additional conditions that children’s centers that offer multilingual childcare should have thought about in advance. The childcare centers concerned must include these conditions in their educational policy project. In addition, the draft decree specifies the conditions under which, exceptionally, a percentage greater than 50% of German, English or French may be offered temporarily over one day. People can react to the draft decision until July 2, 2023 inclusive. The new multilingual childcare rules are set to come into effect on January 1, 2024.
Multilingual daycare
Legislation will soon no longer distinguish between multilingual day care and multilingual after-school care. The term “multilingual reception” is therefore used in the law and the decree. This means that from 1 January 2024, both day care and out-of-school care can offer a maximum of half the day care time in German, English or French, subject to the conditions of the draft decree. .
Other conditions in the draft decision
This draft decision only concerns reception centers wishing to offer multilingual reception services. The draft decree sets additional conditions for the multilingual reception of children. Multilingual crèches must indicate in their pedagogical policy plan how they shape the multilingual offer. They should specifically address three parts: 1. the method and relationship between the two languages, 2. how security and emotional stability are offered specifically in the multilingual group, and 3. how they organize their workforce to multilingual childcare and how they interact with replacement professionals.
The decree also makes it possible to temporarily deviate from the maximum percentage of 50% per day in the event of illness, vacation or other type of leave. The possibility of derogation prevents the law from becoming too oppressive in these situations. The Decree sets the conditions of the situations in which the possibility of derogation can be invoked.
Respond to the internet consultation until July 2, 2023 inclusive
The draft decision amending the decree on the quality of reception for the multilingual reception of children is now available online for public consultation (internet). Anyone who wishes can respond until July 2 inclusive at www.internetconsultatie.nl