Parents Sint Eustatius

All quality regulations applicable to childcare in the Caribbean Netherlands can be found on the quality requirements page.

The Inspectorate of Education supervises whether the childcare centre complies with the quality rules laid down in the legislation and regulations on childcare. We call this supervising. The Inspectorate does this in collaboration with inspectors from the Public Entity on the island. The inspectors check whether the childcare is good for the children. If something can be improved, the childcare centre is given time to do so. However, if the health or safety of children is at risk, this must be solved immediately. If the situation is severe, the Inspectorate may decide to close a childcare centre temporarily.

Every childcare centre receives an inspection report every year. It states what is going well and what could be improved. The childcare centre uses this report to further improve quality. The inspection report is also made public. So you can read it yourself if you want to. Following the inspection audit in 2026, this information is available on the website of your childcare centre. Does your childcare centre not have a website? Then the report is in a place where you can easily access it. You can also find the report at www.toezichtresultaten.onderwijsinspectie.nl.

Your childcare centre wants to work with you to ensure that your child has the best opportunities to develop well. That is why your childcare centre informs you about important matters, such as:

• Which group your child is in and who the permanent employee or mentor of your child is;
• How the development of your child is progressing;
• What additional help or support your child will receive if necessary;
• What you can do at home to give your child additional support, for instance, by reading aloud (more often), singing or playing games together;
• What policies the childcare centre has in place, e.g. in terms of safety, health, education and learning;
• The inspection report. Following the inspection audit in 2026, this information is available on the website of your childcare centre. Does your childcare centre not have a website? Then the report is in a place where you can easily access it.

Childcare centres with more than 50 children must also have a parent committee. This group of parents contributes ideas about childcare and provides recommendations on matters such as pedagogical policy, nutrition, health and safety, opening hours, and complaints procedure.

Do you have any questions or complaints about the childcare provided for your child? Then you should contact your childcare centre first. A childcare centre often has a complaints procedure for complaints about the childcare agreement and about the behaviour of the owner or employees.

If you require advice or mediation in the event of complaints, or if your childcare centre refuses to accept your child’s placement or terminates the agreement, you can contact the Public Entity, Social Domain Directorate.

Are you seriously concerned about the quality of your child’s childcare, or is there an unsafe or unhealthy situation at your childcare facility? If so, you can report this to the inspectorate by sending an email to kinderopvangcn@owinsp.nl.

As a parent, you make clear agreements with the childcare centre about the care of your child(ren). For example, which days your child attends the childcare centre and whether you wish to make use of additional out-of-school care during school holidays and non-school days. These arrangements must be set out in writing in an agreement. It is important that you provide the correct information and sign the agreement. If you do not do so, your childcare centre does not receive any compensation from the government and you must pay for the childcare yourself.

If a childcare centre receives childcare compensation from the government, parents pay a low parental contribution. In 2026 parents pay USD 75 per month for five days of daycare per week and USD 40 for five days of out-of-school care per week. From 2027, the parental contribution amounts to 4% of the total costs of childcare. If you use childcare for less than five days per week, you pay less. The parental contribution is 20% of the maximum amount per day. The correct number of day parts must be stated in the childcare agreement.

Further information about childcare funding can be found at www.rijksdienstcn.com/childcare.

Information about childcare funding can be found on the website www.rijksdienstcn.com/childcare.

If you have any questions about your childcare agreement, the invoices for the parental contribution or other financial matters relating to your childcare centre, you should discuss these with your childcare provider. Your childcare centre should also have a complaints procedure that you can use.

If you are unable to resolve the issue through your childcare centre’s complaints procedure, or if your childcare centre refuses to accept your child’s placement or terminates the agreement, you can contact the public entity, Social Domain Directorate, for advice and mediation.

Parents who are unable to pay the parental contribution may apply to the Public Entity for compensation or a child placement subsidy. On St. Eustatius this is possible at the Social Support Unit.

The Public Entity determines who is eligible for this subsidy, for example based on income. If the application is approved, the Public Entity pays the parental contribution directly to the childcare centre.

A childcare centre may only refuse your child in the following cases:

• There is no place for your child according to the permit or rules (for example, the number of children per employee or available space).
• The childcare centre is unable to provide adequate support for your child, meaning that your child or other children cannot be cared for safely or properly.
• The childcare centre does not apply for any childcare compensation from the government, not even for other children.
• Your childcare agreement has been terminated in the last six months due to at least three months of payment arrears.

If a childcare centre refuses to accept your child’s placement or terminates the agreement, you can obtain advice and mediation from the Social Domain Directorate of the Public Entity.