Responsible childcare means that:

• Children feel safe and comfortable (emotionally secure) in a healthy and safe place.
• Children learn personal and social skills.
  • Personal skills are things that children learn about themselves so that they can take care of themselves, gain self-confidence and do things independently.
  • Social skills are things that children learn to interact well with others, such as playing together, talking, listening to each other and helping each other.
• Children are taught norms and values that are important in society, such as respect, responsibility and caring for one another.
• Children learn to improve their language, mathematics, physical and social-emotional skills in a playful manner and continue to develop. To do this, the childcare organisation closely monitors what each child needs and what is appropriate for their age.
• Children play and learn in a language-rich environment with abundant positive interactions between pedagogic employees and children, as well as among the children themselves.

This chapter explains what this means in practice.

Each childcare centre must have a clear plan for how they deal with children and how they teach children. This is called the pedagogical and educational policy plan. Parents must be able to access this policy, and the childcare centre must implement the policy in its daily practice. The policy plan of a childcare centre includes, among other things:

• How you ensure good and safe childcare.
• How you notice if there are any peculiarities in the development of a child or if a child is experiencing difficulties, and how and when you refer parents to assistance.
• How you let parents know who the mentor of their child is, and how the mentor regularly talks to parents about the development of the child.
• How you cooperate with parents to stimulate the development of the child.
• How the groups are composed in terms of size and ages of the children, and which working method is appropriate.
• How new children can get used to a new group.
• What the daily schedule and activity programme look like.
• What the working language at the childcare centre is.
• The goals you are working towards to improve the quality of the childcare, with accompanying plans and timelines. And how you evaluate the plans.
• The division of tasks within the team: who does what, and who is responsible for what.
• In which situations you deviate from the normal staffing levels, and within which rules or limits this is allowed.
• What activities you organise outside the group (area) and how they are being organised.
• What the tasks of level 2 employees, trainees, volunteers and employees in training are, and how they are being supervised.

Extra for daycare centres:

• How do you prevent or help with developmental and learning delays.
• How you monitor and stimulate the development of children so that they are well prepared for primary school.
• How you, with consent of the parents, pass on information about the development of the child to the primary school.

Extra for out-of-school care centres:

• How you deal with the basic group if there are activities with more than 30 children.

*Host parents also put their pedagogical and educational policy in writing. In this document, a host parent explains how responsible childcare is provided, including:

• How do you ensure that children feel safe and comfortable (emotionally secure).
• How you stimulate the personal and social development of children.
• How you introduce children to generally accepted norms and values in a playful way.
• How you stimulate children in a playful and purposeful way in language, mathematics, physical activity and social-emotional skills, so that they continue developing well.

Host parents must also evaluate the policy and adjust it if necessary.

In childcare, it is important that children feel emotionally safe and secure. This means that they feel comfortable, can be themselves and trust the people around them. In the group(s), this means, among other things:

• You act sensitively and responsively. This means that you treat children in a caring and attentive manner. You observe and listen carefully and respond positively to their signals. You show understanding for their feelings and offer comfort or support when necessary.
• You build a warm and stable bond (a trusting relationship) with the children, so that they feel safe with you and know what to expect from you.
• You provide clarity and set boundaries when necessary. By structuring the day and behaviour, you help children feel safe and secure.
• There is a relaxed and open atmosphere in the group(s).

In childcare, children are introduced to the norms and values that are important in our society, such as respect, honesty, caring and responsibility, in an open and playful manner. This teaches them to treat others with respect and to participate actively in society. In the group(s), this means, among other things:

• You ensure that agreements, rules and manners are visible and recognisable within the group and that they are applied consistently.
• You let the children practise taking responsibility together and you stimulate respectful behaviour towards each other.
• You serve as a role model for the children. The way you speak and act demonstrates respectful, honest and social behaviour.

In childcare, children are encouraged to develop in a playful manner. This helps them become more independent step by step and learn to adapt to change. In the group(s), this means, among other things:

• You support and guide the development of (individual) children.
• You stimulate the independence and self-sufficiency of the children. For example, by encouraging children to do things themselves, solve problems and take responsibility.
• You respect the autonomy of the child and listen to their opinion, ideas, and preferences. This contributes to their sense of self-worth and self-confidence.
• In your interactions with children, you stimulate self-confidence, for example by giving positive feedback, so that children gain confidence in their own abilities.

In childcare, children learn how to interact with others in a natural and playful way. They develop social knowledge and skills that help them to form and maintain relationships independently. In the group(s), this means, among other things:

• You teach children how to interact with others, work together and be considerate of each other in a playful way. For example, during role-playing, tidying up together or sharing toys.
• You stimulate interaction between children, for example by encouraging them to communicate with each other and play together. With babies, you do this by actively making contact, for example through eye contact, facial expressions and talking to them.
• You stimulate children to help and support each other in the group and you help them to prevent fights. If conflicts do arise, you guide them in finding a solution.

A well-thought-out daily rhythm and a varied offer of activities are essential in childcare. They provide structure and stimulate the development of children in a playful way. This means:

• The daily rhythm includes recognisable moments such as dropping off and picking up children, playing, eating, resting and sleeping together. This structure provides children with a sense of security.
• The activity programme is varied and includes a range of activities with different objectives:
  • Stimulate development: playful activities are used to develop cognitive, motor, language and social-emotional skills.
  • Discover talents: children gain experience through creative or sporting activities such as music, theatre, sports or nature excursions.
  • Relaxation: there is space for rest and relaxation.
• A single activity can support multiple developmental goals. It is important that the programme is balanced and well-rounded. This means that no single type of activity, such as homework assistance, should dominate. There should also be a balance between free time, supervised activities and activities that are completely guided.
• The activity programme is tailored to the age, interests and developmental level of the children in the group. Often, an activity programme is developed for a longer period, for instance a month, so that all areas of development can be covered and the activities gradually become more challenging.

The daycare centres use a programme for early childhood education. This programme is designed to be playful and supports the development of young children. It meets the following requirements:

• The programme stimulates the development in a playful, structured and coherent manner. This means that the activities are playful in nature and are deliberately chosen and planned.
• It focuses at least on language skills, mathematics, motor skills and social-emotional development.
• The programme takes the Caribbean environment and culture into account.
• The content and the objectives are appropriate for the age and the developmental stage of the children.
• The programme prepares children for a smooth transition to primary education and helps prevent developmental and learning delays.

Host parents and out-of-school care centres are not required to offer an early childhood education programme. However, they are expected to stimulate the development of children in a playful and purposeful manner in the areas of language, mathematics, motor skills and social-emotional skills. This should be done in a manner that is appropriate to the age and development of the children.

A well-designed indoor and outdoor area contributes directly to children’s learning and development:

• The play areas are attractively designed with varied play corners and materials that encourage play, discovery and learning. There is also space to rest and chill out.
• The design is tailored to the age and developmental stage of the children.
• The design stimulates language development, mathematics, motor skills and social-emotional growth.
• The environment is language-rich. The play-based learning environment offers plenty of opportunities to come into contact with language, such as books, pictures, word cards, writing materials and labels on the materials. This helps children to actively use and further develop language.

In childcare, children learn in a natural way, through play and discovery. A good childcare centre:

• Stimulates the development of children in the areas of language, mathematics, motor skills and social-emotional skills in a playful and purposeful way. This means:
  • You tailor the offer of activities to the age and developmental level of each child.
  • You offer activities in which children can develop language, mathematics, motor and social-emotional skills through play and discovery.
  • You guide the children by, for example, asking questions, playing along and making the play even more fun and educational for children.
• Provides a language-rich environment with positive and high-quality interactions with and between children. This means:
  • You talk a lot with the children, use many different words and consciously stimulate the language development in your interaction with children and between children.
  • You give positive and stimulating feedback that matches the child’s level, so that children are encouraged to keep moving forward.
  • You encourage children to think for themselves and make connections, for example by asking open and stimulating questions or by reading aloud interactively.
  • You encourage the interaction between children and you stimulate that children talk, actively use (new) words and form sentences.
  • You explain what you are doing and you stimulate children to do the same.
• Has active and committed employees and children. This means:
  • You challenge the children by encouraging them to do and experience things themselves.
  • You actively participate in the activities yourself and demonstrate what is expected. This way, the children are also engaged in the play.
  • You provide positive guidance and targeted explanations in small steps to ensure a continuous development process for children.

The development of each child is followed at the childcare location. This involves looking at several areas of development:

• You follow the development of children in terms of language, mathematics, motor skills and social-emotional skills. This enables you to tailor the offer of activities to the developmental stage of the child.
• You (mentor of a child or host parent) regularly meet with parents to discuss the progress and any points of attention in the development of the child.

The data on the development of each child must periodically be compared with what is normal for a child of that age. This allows you to see if there is anything unusual in the development of the child. If you observe peculiarities:

• The operator of a childcare centre periodically consults with the pedagogical employees involved to discuss the signals and adjust the support accordingly, for example by using small groups or individual support.
• The operator / host parent / employee(s) involved consults with an expert in the area of pedagogical support and advice. This can be done via:
  • On Bonaire: Sentro Akseso
  • On St. Eustatius: the Public Entity, Social Domain Directorate: Support BES(t) 4 kids and pedagogical counsellor at The Rock.
  • On Saba: Community Development & Culture Department of the Public Entity.
• If it is necessary to share information about a child with the organisation that provides pedagogical support and advice, strict conditions apply:
  • Parents must give written consent for the sharing of the data.
  • The childcare organisation and the supporting organisation must have a processing agreement. This includes agreements on how personal data is safely shared, stored and used.
• You always document the outcomes and agreements from these meetings in the child’s file.

When a child transitions from childcare to primary school, the childcare organisation provides the school with important information about the development of the child. This helps to ensure a smooth transition to school. Parents must first give their consent for this:

• If parents agree, a transition meeting takes place between the childcare organisation and the primary school. We call this a “warm” transition. If possible, parents are also present at this meeting
• The following information about the development of the child can be shared by the childcare organisation with the school after written consent has been given by the parent(s):
  • Language skills
  • Mathematics
  • Motor skills
  • Social-emotional development

  Attention: The childcare organisation is not allowed to pass on this information to the school without the consent of the parents. The school must then request this information from the parent(s). Other personal information, e.g. about the health or home situation, can only be shared with the school by the parents themselves.

• The childcare organisation must retain the shared data for two years after the child has left the childcare location. After that, the data must be destroyed.
• It is important that the transfer of data is secure:
  • Data can only be shared with persons who need this information, e.g. the future teacher of the child.
  • The data must be sent securely, for example via a secure connection or with a password.
  • The childcare organisation and the school must store the data relating to children in a secure location and make it accessible only to authorised employees.

In order to optimally support the development of children and to promote a smooth transition to primary education, the childcare organisation actively collaborates with various stakeholders.

• Cooperation with parents: parents play a central role in the development of their child. The childcare organisation therefore actively involves parents in the learning and development process. This means that there are regular discussions about the child’s progress, needs and support at the childcare location and at home. Parents are encouraged, if necessary, to provide extra stimulation of the development of their child at home. For example, by reading aloud (more often), singing and playing games with their child.
• Cooperation with local partners: both operators and host parents work together with organisations in the local area, e.g. schools and institutions providing pedagogical support and advice. This cooperation is aimed at:
  • Increasing children’s participation in childcare so that as many children as possible have access to a stimulating learning environment.
  • Establishing a continuous development and learning pathway from childcare to primary education, so that the transition for children is smooth.

  To strengthen this collaboration, childcare organisations participate in island-wide meetings with local partners at least twice a year.