The nurseries are suffering from a constant shortage of staff.
The shortage of staff in the childcare sector in the Netherlands continues to decline slowly, but it remains a major concern, especially due to its prolonged duration.
According to the latest labor market survey conducted by the organization "Kinderopvang werkt!", which includes unions of employers and employees, the shortage rate in daycare institutions has decreased over the year from 30% to 23%. This means that less than a quarter of institutions are now experiencing staff shortages.
In after-school care, the shortage rate decreased from 44% to 36%, and in childcare (peuteropvang) from 20% to 14%. The organization described this progress as "small steps, but in the right direction". Despite this decline, the existing shortage is often long-term. 18% of institutions indicated that the shortage has persisted for more than three years, compared to only 9% six months ago. The organization emphasized that "structural solutions are still necessary to make childcare sustainable in the future."
Despite the continuous increase in the number of workers in the sector over the years, waiting lists have barely decreased. Waiting lists exist in 72% of daycare institutions, 65% of after-school care institutions, and 32% of early childhood care. To address this shortage, employees work extra hours outside their contracts or swap tasks to cover absences, and managers and administrative staff sometimes participate in fieldwork.
Despite the satisfaction of most institutions with the number of available trainees, there are criticisms regarding the quality of training. Several institutions have reported that some trainees lack motivation, or that training requirements do not match the expectations of the institutions. Additionally, the number of institutions relying on freelancers (zzp'ers) has decreased from 30% to 13%. A total of 474 institutions participated in the May 2025 survey. "Kinderopvang werkt!" conducts this survey twice a year.