Flanders (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Less than one-third of new childcare spots promised in Flanders have actually materialized. Up to 2,000 out of the over 6,000 new childcare spots promised in Flanders since the beginning of the present legislative mandate have actually been put in place.
The numbers have been made available by Caroline Gennez, who is the welfare minister of Flanders, on the request of Flemish MP Tina Van Havere of the Vooruit Party. Gennez aims at making an extra 10,000 places of childcare by the end of her term of office and has made budgetary provision accordingly.
How many new childcare places have actually been activated?
In spite of this effort, the total number of licensed places of childcare in Flanders and Brussels has fallen marginally in 2025 due to less family-based childcare from childminding at home.
Nurseries created almost 1,000 places during this period. Several expansion projects for subsidised childcare places have taken place since the start of the past year. They resulted in a total of 6,103 extra places; however, only 2,064 of these places have been activated so far.
Why is Flanders struggling to expand childcare capacity?
According to health insurer Helan, the process is too slow. The director of this company, Filip Standaert, explained that one of the most important causes of this is the long permit procedure for constructing a new nursery building. It takes, on average, two and a half years from the moment of construction application until the nursery is completed.
“Parents looking for childcare today have no use for a place that is still tied up in construction or permit procedures,”
Standaert said.
It was pointed out that the Flemish administration needed to speed up the process of setting up new nurseries as well as ensure there is sufficient space available. The importance of not losing capacity through existing child minders was also stressed.
“The funding and ambition are there, but the route from investment to an open nursery must be shorter,”
Standaert said.
“That requires suitable infrastructure, faster procedures and enough childcare workers and childminders.”
Many facilities simply cannot add more facilities due to the inability to hire sufficient qualified childcare workers (kinderbegeleiders). While buildings and licenses are available, there will be no opening of facilities in the absence of manpower. While new crèches are being opened, other facilities are closing down, mainly because of the departure of childminders (onthaalouders) and closing of small centers. Thus, the actual increase in the number of “new” facilities is actually much lower than the announced gross number. Opening up of a facility requires several steps including funding, construction/renovation, licensing, and hiring.
