FAQ
Registration and Waiting List
On our website, you’ll find the online registration form to register for Zo Kinderopvang without obligation and free of charge. In this form, you will specify your preferences.
After you’ve submitted the form, you’ll receive an automatic confirmation from us. Our Planning department will then contact you as soon as possible to review your details.
Once we’ve discussed the options, we’ll have all the information needed to finalize the contract. If necessary, we’ll put you on the waiting list. This may occur if there’s no immediate availability at the requested location.
It’s good to know that we plan ahead for about 6 months prior to the desired start date.
The Hague Region: Based on our pedagogical approach, we require a minimum booking of 1 childcare day per week.
Brabant Region: Based on our pedagogical approach, we require a minimum booking of 1 childcare day per week or 2 separate half days.
Some of our locations offer flexible childcare; however, we always advise opting for a fixed childcare day, as children benefit from structure and a regular childcare routine.
If you’re unsure about the start date and the number of days needed when registering, it’s wise to register your child for the earliest possible date and the expected number of days. You can always adjust these details later once you have more clarity.
Various factors come into play when placing and scheduling children, such as the combination of desired days and start date, the child’s age, and the cancellations of children already placed. We always adhere to the staff-to-child ratio (a legal requirement; the ratio between the number of staff and the number of children in the group at Zo Kinderopvang).
In some situations, certain children receive priority, such as siblings of children already placed. If a spot becomes available, we’ll contact you to discuss further contract details. We strive to accommodate as many children as possible within Zo Kinderopvang and will always be willing to work with you.
Contract and Payments
No, contracts cannot be paused temporarily.
All-in after school care contracts (52 weeks) include holidays. Study and margin days are not included in the standard package. However, parents can use their holiday days on study and margin days. For a 40-week after school care contract, study, margin, and holiday days are invoiced afterward.
Changing the start date up to 3 months before the planned start date is completely free of charge. If you wish to change the start date within 3 months prior to the planned date, administrative costs apply. Shifting the start date at least 1 month before the start date incurs €250 administrative costs. Shifting less than 1 month before the planned start date incurs the full costs of the first month of care.
Canceling up to 6 months before the start date is entirely free of charge. If you cancel (partially) within 6 months before the start date, fees apply. Canceling between 3 and 6 months before the planned start date incurs a €50 fee. Canceling between 1 and 3 months before the start date incurs a €250 fee. Canceling less than 1 month before the start date incurs the full costs of the first month of care.
For information regarding payment details and other payment-related inquiries, please refer to our general (payment) terms and conditions. If you have trouble understanding, feel free to contact us.
Contracts must be terminated via email (to kindplanning@zokinderopvang.nl). A notice period of 1 month applies for termination. It’s important to also cancel the childcare benefit in a timely manner to avoid unnecessary repayments. The contract expires automatically on the day before the child’s 4th birthday.
When your child attends childcare, you can apply for childcare benefit from the “Belastingdienst”. Childcare benefit is a contribution to parents for the costs of childcare. The amount of this benefit is based on the combined gross income and the number of children within the family using childcare.
Applying for childcare benefit is the responsibility of both or one of the parents and must be done through the Tax Authorities (Belastingdienst). Zo Kinderopvang is not responsible for this.
To be eligible for childcare benefit, there are several conditions:
– Dependent children are registered at the parent(s)’ residential address.
– You as a parent or your partner pay the childcare costs.
– Both parents/caregivers work or receive a contribution from UWV or the municipality under the Childcare Act.
If you are not eligible for childcare benefit, there may be options for assistance/subsidies depending on the municipality.
Exchange days, Closing and Opening Hours
You can request extra days or exchange days via our app (Konnect OuderApp). The manager or childcare worker at the location can approve or reject requests through the app, depending on space availability in the group. Parents will receive a notification about the decision.
Please check the opening hours of the location on the respective facility page under the ‘opening hours’ section.
We are closed on national holidays:
- New Year’s Day,
- Easter Monday,
- King’s Day
- Liberation Day once every five years: 2025, 2030, etc.
- Ascension Day,
- Whit Monday, and
- Christmas Day and Boxing Day
When a holiday falls on a weekday, parents receive a credit from us, provided it falls on their scheduled childcare day. We automatically set this up in Konnect each year.
Exceptions to this are the lunchtime care and all toddler care placements. They do not receive a credit on holidays.
On December 24th and 31st, all locations of Zo Kinderopvang and Big Ben Kids will close at 4:30 PM, as we also want to give our staff the opportunity to be home on time on these special days. We ask for parents’ understanding; there will be no credit provided for this.
At the location
At Zo Kinderopvang, we only provide care in horizontal groups. In a horizontal group, children are grouped with peers of the same age. At our locations, we have separate baby, toddler, and/or preschool groups. As your baby grows into a toddler or preschooler, they transition to the next group. In a vertical group, children from zero to four years old are together. Young children grow up alongside older children in the group. This is not offered at Zo Kinderopvang.
Absolutely, we consider it crucial for you to have a smooth start at Zo Kinderopvang. Transitioning to childcare is a significant step, and to support you through this, we always schedule settling-in moments prior to the start date, arranged by the location manager.
If you have concerns, want to discuss something, or file a complaint, please contact the location manager. We’re eager to sit down together and find a solution. Often, a personal conversation can help resolve issues.
If you can’t resolve the issue at the location or would prefer to directly discuss and/or file a complaint, we would like to refer you to our complaints procedure (in Dutch). This document explains how to submit a complaint and outlines the next steps.
Naturally, we adhere to the general guidelines from the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) and the GGD (Municipal Health Service) Netherlands. We advocate for vaccination and encourage parents to participate in the Dutch National Immunisation Programme, just like us. We collect vaccination records for all children, which we keep updated. However, we cannot compel you to provide this information. As a parent, you have the right to refuse to provide vaccination records (as stated in the Personal Data Protection Act). While we have vaccination records for many children, this information is still a snapshot. Therefore, we do not make statements about the vaccination rates at our facilities.