Dutch health services say day care heat protocols fall short in protecting children
Dutch public health services are warning that daycare centers need stronger measures to protect children and staff during extreme heat, saying existing heat protocols are often too general and fail to account for conditions at individual locations.
The GGDs (Gemeentelijke Gezondheidsdiensten – municipal public health services), which oversee daycare facilities, say organizations are legally required to have a heat protocol. However, simply having a document in place is no longer considered sufficient as periods of extreme heat become more frequent.
Josine van den Boogaard, a policy adviser at GGD Rotterdam-Rijnmond, said many daycare organizations use one general heat plan for all their locations. The problem, she explained, is that buildings can differ significantly, meaning a strategy that works at one daycare may not adequately protect children at another.
Health officials are therefore calling for more location-specific measures. Daycare providers need to assess factors such as indoor temperatures, ventilation, available shade and the ability to keep children cool throughout the day. Staff should also know exactly what actions to take when temperatures become dangerously high.
The warning comes as the Netherlands experiences increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat. A fourth regional heatwave in Limburg ended on Friday after lasting about a week and a half, while temperatures were expected to rise above 30°C in many parts of the country over the weekend.
The GGDs say the changing climate means daycare organizations cannot simply rely on existing procedures. Heat plans need to be regularly reviewed and adapted to actual conditions at each facility so that children, who are particularly vulnerable to excessive heat, can remain safe.
The call puts additional pressure on the Dutch childcare sector to strengthen its preparation for hot weather. With extreme temperatures becoming a more frequent challenge, public health officials say protecting children requires practical, location-specific measures rather than a one-size-fits-all protocol.